Portuguese millipedes were first recorded in Perth, Western Australia around Roleystone in 1986 and (since the late nineties) have been found in other areas in the southwest of Western Australia. They are also found in South Australia, ACT, Tasmania and Victoria. Since then the need for effective millipede removal and millipede control has been needed in Perth and surrounding areas.

Portuguese millipedes reproduce in autumn and early winter. They would probably begin mating in March or April and lay most of their eggs in April and May. This would explain why they appear so mobile and so abundant after the first rains. Mature females lay about 200 pinhead sized, yellowish white eggs in a small hole they have made in the soil.

Not much is known about the Australian millipede fauna. Of the 15 orders of millipedes in the world only nine have been recorded here so far. Millipedes have long, cylindrical bodies composed of numerous similar segments. The head has simple eyes (if any), a pair of antennae and chewing mouthparts. Each body segment has two pairs of legs.

Although millipede means ‘thousand feet’, they don’t really have that many. However most species have more than 30 pairs of legs and some are known to have about 350 pairs. Millipedes are herbivores and scavengers, feeding primarily on decaying plant material and animal matter.

They are usually found in cool, moist environments, under rocks and logs, in leaf litter and soil and under the bark of trees.
Most male millipedes have specially designed mating legs which they use to transfer sperm to the females. Depending on the species, the female lays her eggs in the soil, under logs or in leaf litter.

Newly hatched young have three or four pairs of legs. Body segments and legs are added with successive moults as they grow, until they reach adult size.