Millipedes belong to the class, Diplopoda. They are characterized by having two pairs of legs on each body segment, except the first three segments. They have cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while some are shorter and can roll into a ball. Millipedes have short antennae, a pair of jaws on their mouthparts, and a cluster of simple eyes on each side of the head. 

Although the name millipede is derived from the Latin, “a thousand feet”, there is only one species of millipede with more than a thousand feet, Eumillipes persephone, which was discovered in 2021 in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. 

Millipedes are detritivores; they eat decaying organic matter, especially plant matter. They are generally harmless to humans but they can become a pest in gardens and greenhouses. 

There are 2,000 species of millipedes in Australia, but the introduced species, the Portuguese millipede has established itself as a common pest throughout South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Western Australia.