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1. kho (kho@shitposter.club)'s status on Sunday, 17-Sep-2023 06:16:41 JST kho

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   Duff millipedes are only rarely observed in natural settings because of their minute size and coloration that blends well with their background. However, periodically duff millipedes will migrate into buildings where they may attract considerable attention. Large numbers of them may show up, sometimes abruptly. Largest invasions of duff millipedes tend to occur most often during hot, dry periods of summer. However, they may be present in homes from the middle of spring into autumn.
   
   They feed on algae, fungi and decaying organic matter. Tree bark is the most common location for most duff millipedes (Figure 3) but they also may occur among fallen leaves and needles and even have been associated with debris within ant nests. Egg fertilization is indirect with the male spinning a small silken mat upon which sperm is deposited. Silk strands guide females which then gather the sperm into their genital opening. The females then lay eggs in the form of a sticky mass that are covered with protective hairs of the body.
   
   Unlike most millipedes the body of duff millipedes is not hardened (calcified) and they lack chemical defenses. Instead they protect themselves by means of the hairs that protrude from the tip of the abdomen. These are hooked and can readily detach when the duff millipede is attacked by an ant, pseudoscorpion or other predator. Attempts to remove the hairs only further entangle the predator and ants may die from an encounter with the hairs of the duff millipede. The hairs are replaced at the next molt and their loss may accelerate the onset of molting.