By Jackson Means (mjacks4@vt.edu) and Derek Hennen (dhennen@vt.edu)
Millipedes (Fig. 1) are one of those insect-like creatures that you’re likely to encounter in your garden on a regular basis, and toss aside as just another natural oddity you would rather not look at too closely. One could not be blamed for this reaction; millipedes do frequently produce chemical defenses that can smell quite powerful and have a few too many legs to remain in the comfort zone of most people. This really is a shame, as millipedes are one of the most fascinating and diverse groups of animals on the planet. Plus, some of those chemical defenses smell like cherry cola, which is pretty cool.