Yesterday I saw a giant millipede

jigglywoo

On my was to the shop yesterday I saw this big black thingy creeping along a foothpath. I couldn't stop to have a better look because there was kids heading towards me and if I attracted attention to it they might jump on it or something (boys will be boys).

Anyway, it looked kinda like this:


Except the yellow bits there were more orangey/pinky.

It was feckin huge, like 10cm long and 1cm wide. Is it normal to see these around?

Alun

Was it "hairy" at all? If so, it was more likely to be a moth caterpillar (which can be quite large) than a giant millipede.

jigglywoo

Wasn't hairy, had had a hard shiny segmented back like the one in the pic.

Alun

jigglywoo wrote: »

Wasn't hairy, had had a hard shiny segmented back like the one in the pic.

OK, that's odd .. I'm pretty close to 100% certain we don't have any native millipedes of that size in Ireland.

Some possibilities then ... I know some people have things like giant millipedes as "pets", although god knows why ... maybe it escaped?

Another possibility is that it turned up in something that was imported from a country where they're native, such as Africa. I did a bit of Googling and found an article on the BBC website describing one that was discovered in London where the woman who reported it had recently put down bark chippings in her garden that, it turned out, had been produced in Africa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5394338.stm

Mothman

I think it may be Goat Moth Caterpillar
Size and time of year are right.

Habitat and county would be useful.

Habitat meaning what trees are in the locality

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Where was this sighting? The Goat Moth caterpillar is much more pinkish than the example above. A picture of something it's not but is "like" can be very misleading. As mothman said habitat and county would be a help. I doubt it was 10cm (4ins) long if you has so little time to see it then you may be mistaken on the length.

Mothman

Mature Goat moth caterpillars are 9-10cm long. There is link to photo in my previous post

jigglywoo

That moth looks nasty!

Probably was the moth that I spotted. Saw it in Westmeath by some grass, it was walking along a footpath. There wasn't many trees around, brambles, grass and some bushes planted by the council, I'll try and found out which ones.

Now I don't have to be scared of giant millipedes taking over the country, just giant ugly caterpillars instead, bleh.

Thanks.

Mothman

This caterpillars lives in the wood of trees taking about 5 years to get to full size. Favoured trees are usually in damps locations and they are not that fussy with species, though most that I've heard of are in Willow.

When mature many leave to look for a place to pupate which may be in the ground or in rotten wood.
Not that many records in Ireland
http://www.mothsireland.com/species/162.htm
But is probably overlooked as records are widespread.

CSU

Family: Arthropods

Size: 42mm

Date: 6/14/99

jigglywoo wrote: »

On my was to the shop yesterday I saw this big black thingy

...?

Mothman

CSU wrote: »

...?

Note

Originally Posted by jigglywoo
Anyway, it looked kinda like this:
.....Except the yellow bits there were more orangey/pinky......
....like 10cm long and 1cm wide.....

CSU

what a <snip> i am , sorry:o

i thought you WHERE A FAKE MILIPEDE EXPLORER!:eek:

John Griffin

Well spotted Mothman!!!! And thanks again:)