A CANBERRA scientist has helped discover the first ever millipede, with more than 1000 legs.

The species, which is the first “true” millipede, has 1,306 legs and was found in Western Australia.

Prior to this discovery no millipede had been found with more than 750 legs.

CSIRO Research Scientist Dr Juanita Rodriguez was one of seven scientists involved in the discovery of the millipede – which has been named Eumillipes Persephone –  in reference to the Greek goddess of the underworld, Persephone.

“We’ve been naming millipedes for centuries, but this discovery is particularly exciting because it’s a millipede in the truest sense of the word,” says Dr Rodriguez.

The scientists found four members of the new species in southern western Australia, 60 metres underground, and discovered they have long, thread-like bodies consisting of up to 330 segments, with no eyes, short legs, and cone-shaped heads.

The work tied into a broader study being conducted by Dr Rodriguez and her colleagues at CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra.

“We are studying the chemicals that millipedes produce to look for interesting molecules that could be used as potential antimicrobials against highly virulent and antibiotic resistant pathogens,” Dr Rodriguez said.

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