Pill Millipede Glomeris marginata (4K)
Species of the Glomerida can by non-biologists be mistaken with isopods, especially with Armadilidium opacum. They due to independent evolution share a similar body shape and also a similar passive defensive behavior to roll in their bodies, thus forming a pellet that covers all weak and sensible body parts.
But Armadilidium is a crustacean and Glomeris represents a millipede. Both are arthropods, but belong to very different clades.
In detail, glomerids indeed show all typical morphological characters of Diplopoda, including double segments, each bearing two pairs of legs.
Glomeris marginata additionally is able to produce a defensive secretion, which contains hydrogen cyanide, glomerine and homoglomerine.
The species is known as a detritus feeder with a preference for dead leaves, but they were also observed to feed on different other materials and even microorganisms. In the latter context it was discovered that G. marginata is able to rear bacteria inside its digestive tract. Thus it contributes to a greater number of soil bacteria and that way benefits to its ecosystem. Another contribution to the ecosystem are its the faeces, which can be a food source for example for annelids.
The specimen was collected in SW-Germany (Saarland) in November 2017. The footage was filmed in 4K in January 2018.
Copyrights Stefan F. Wirth, Berlin
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