Giant Pill Millipede vs Elongate-bodied Springtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Pill Millipede Elongate-bodied Springtail
Scientific Name Zephronia siamensis Folsomia candida
Order Sphaerotheriida Collembola
Family Zephroniidae Isotomidae
Size 30-50 mm diameter when rolled 0.5-1.5 mm
Habitat Caves Caves
Diet Wood Feeders Detritivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Pill Millipede

A large pill millipede that can roll into a perfect sphere the size of a golf ball when threatened. The body is dark brown to black with smooth, overlapping plates.

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Did You Know?

When rolled into a ball, the armor plates lock together so tightly that most predators cannot pry them apart.

Elongate-bodied Springtail

A white eyeless springtail commonly found in soil and cave environments worldwide. It is the most widely used springtail in laboratory ecotoxicology.

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Did You Know?

It reproduces by parthenogenesis and is a standard test organism in soil toxicology.