A team led by entomologist Paul Marek started collecting the creatures on a an expedition in 2005 and over the next three years found 17 specimens (12,750 legs maximum). At just 3 centimeters long, it’s not especially threatening–although it does have claws at the end of those legs. And 750 limbs is on the high-end: females have up to that many, while males have more than 550. Other cool/creepy things about Illacme plenipes, in no particular order:
It has giant antennaeIt has a translucent exoskeletonIt has body hairs that produce silk for clinging to bouldersIts mouth is specifically built for tearing up plants efficiently
Enjoy your millipedes, tech companies. Discover
