|Image: Marshal Hedin|
That's right. Cyanide! Yaaaay!
|Image: Patrick Randall|
Like other millipedes the world over, A. virginiensis prefers dark and damp places where the musty air carries the thick scent of moss and fungus, shed leaves and rotting wood.
And, like other millipedes the world over, A. virginiensis feasts on the very same decaying plant matter. They're like vultures for plants, except we don't see it that way because we've never gotten round to taking the plant experience seriously.
Unlike many, though not all, millipedes, and unlike many other creatures who delve into the detritus of the forest, A. virginiensis is rather lovely to look at.
|Image: Brian Henderson|
This is, of course, a warning, principally to any nearby predator who might take it in their head to eat a harmless little millipede. For, like numerous other millipedes, A. virginiensis is armed with nasty cyanide compounds to ward off unwanted attention. It's not massively powerful, though if you touch one you should definitely avoid touching your eyes.
Also don't eat one. That's the main thing. A. virginiensis has no venomous sting or bite. They're simply saying, "I don't want you to eat me and, as it happens, neither do you."