This presentation will introduce audiences to one of the largest and most poorly known groups of animals in the world, the Myriapoda. Myriapods include millipedes, centipedes, and their even less well-known relatives the Symphyla and Pauropoda.

Virginia, especially the western half, is home to one of the worldwide centers of biodiversity for millipedes and as such represents a uniquely valuable area for millipede-based research. In this presentation, Dr. Means will explain the habitats millipedes can be found in, as well as their biology, ecology, and evolution, and show off some of the more common groups of millipedes Virginians are likely to encounter when in their gardens or out on a hike.