Which millipede was the first known species with more than 1,000 legs?

Eumillipes persephone was the first known millipede species discovered with more than 1,000 legs.

The species was described in 2021 after specimens were found in narrow mining-exploration drill holes in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields. One female had 1,306 legs, finally making the millipede’s name—derived from Latin for “thousand feet”—literally accurate.

Eumillipes persephone is a pale, threadlike animal less than a millimetre wide but capable of reaching roughly 9.6 centimetres in length. It has no eyes and lives underground, where its elongated body and many legs help it move through tiny cracks. Its diet is not fully known, although researchers suspect it may feed on fungi associated with plant roots.

Before its discovery, Illacme plenipes held the record, with up to about 750 legs. The two species evolved their long bodies and huge leg counts independently. The name persephone refers to the Greek underworld goddess, an allusion to the millipede’s subterranean habitat.