I Was Fascinated to Learn a New Millipede Species Was Just Discovered in Los Angeles County
I never expected to read about a brand-new species of millipede being discovered in Los Angeles County, of all places—but here we are. When I first heard about it, I had to do a double take. LA, with its traffic jams and skyscrapers, isn’t exactly where I picture new species quietly crawling beneath our feet.
The new species, called Illacme socal, is tiny, translucent, and lives underground—so it’s no surprise that most of us never knew it existed. Researchers found it near a hiking trail in the city of Whittier, which made me realize just how wild and mysterious the natural world still is, even in one of the most urbanized areas in the country.
What blew my mind is that this millipede has over 400 legs and secretes a chemical defense. It’s like something straight out of a sci-fi film. Scientists say it’s related to another bizarre millipede from Northern California that holds the record for most legs of any animal—over 1,300!
Reading this, I couldn’t help but wonder: What else is hiding in plain sight? I mean, if something this weird and wonderful is living beneath LA’s soil, maybe we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s out there.
It also made me think about how important it is to protect these little pockets of nature. Who would’ve thought biodiversity hotspots could exist right next to our favorite taco stands and parking garages?
So now, every time I go on a trail or even walk through a park, I look down with a bit more curiosity. You never know—maybe the next undiscovered species is crawling just a few inches from our shoes.
