Ommatoiulus sabulosus
Ommatoiulus sabulosus, also known as the striped millipede, is a European millipede of the family Julidae. Its common name comes from its two striking bright longitudinal bands on the dorsal surface.
| Striped millipede | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Diplopoda |
| Order: | Julida |
| Family: | Julidae |
| Genus: | Ommatoiulus |
| Species: | O. sabulosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ommatoiulus sabulosus | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Julus sabulosus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
O. sabulosus is widespread and common in Central Europe and on the British Isles. It has a broad habitat range, including open areas such as meadows, fields, and roadside edges as well as sandy soils and the leaf-litter of forests of pine, oak, and beech trees.[1] O. sabulosus occurs at elevations ranging from sea level up to 2800 metres.[1][2] O. sabulosus occasionally occurs in large numbers and mass migrations, they are very useful animals because they are excellent scavengers, they eat foliage, rotten wood and other dead plant material, producing humus that is exploited by plants for growth .[1][3] Geographic subspecies or 'forms' include Ommatoiulus sabulosus aimatopodus.
References
- Kania, Grzegorz, & Tracz, Henryk (2005). Mass occurrence and migration of Ommatoiulus sabulosus (Linnaeus, 1758)(Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae) in Poland Archived 2015-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Peckiana, 4, 57-66.
- "Ommatoiulus sabulosus". British Myriapod & Isopod Group. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
- Voigtländer, Karin (2005). "Mass occurrences and swarming behaviour of millipedes (Diplopoda: Julidae) in Eastern Germany" (PDF). Peckiana. 4: 181–187.
