The millipedes live for a long time – symphiles, for example, up to 6 years. The centipedes multiply in different ways, but in general terms this way: the male lays the lumps of seminal fluid-spermatophores. The female, accidentally bumping into a spermatophore (and in some species – literally brought to him by the male “by the hand”), fertilizes the eggs and lays them.
Larvae appear from eggs, most often with an incomplete number of legs. The larvae then moult several times, turning into an adult insect and “accumulating” legs along the way.
Millipedes know how to stand up for themselves: many species, defending themselves, give off odorous, coloring and poisonous substances. The poison of the two-legged millipedes causes skin lesions in humans, and if caught in the eye, it can lead to blindness. Indians of Central America use this poison in their poisoned arrows.
