Harpagomorpha is a genus of millipede in the family Paradoxosomatidae containing a single species, H….Harpagomorpha (millipede)

Diplopoda

Millipede, (class Diplopoda), any member of the arthropod class Diplopoda, distributed worldwide and commonly grouped with several other classes as myriapods. The approximately 10,000 species live in and eat decaying plant matter; some injure living plants, and a few are predators and scavengers.

Millipedes are often called 1,000-legged worms or rain worms. They are wormlike, with rounded body segments that each bear two pairs of legs. The head is rounded with short antennae. It is not advisable to handle millipedes with your bare hands.

Tea tree oil and peppermint oil are the two most common for use against millipedes. Essential oils should always be diluted with water before use. Apply the oil mixture around entry points like windowsills, door gaps, basements, vents, foundation cracks, and crawlspaces.

Frequent indoor sightings of these pests usually means that there are large numbers breeding outdoors in the lawn, or beneath mulch, leaf litter or debris close to the foundation. Millipedes do not survive indoors for more than a few days (more likely just a few hours) unless they can find suitable moist conditions.

To treat for Millipedes you will need to use insecticides labeled for Millipede Control like Bifen L/P, D-Fense Dust and Reclaim I/T. Bifen LP and Reclaim IT should be used outdoors to treat Millipedes and keep them from venturing indoors.

Most common millipedes are cylindrical, but millipedes in the order Polydesmida are flattened. Common species are black with yellow or orange markings. The 3 species pictured below are found in Eastern Kentucky forests. Millipedes like the one pictured below right are sometimes called “flat-backed millipedes.”