British snake millipede

The British snake millipede (Cylindroiulus britannicus) belongs to the class Diplopoda, order Julida, and family Julidae. These arthropods are common soil dwellers, thriving in environments with high moisture and decomposing organic matter, making them frequent inhabitants of greenhouses and dense garden mulch layers.

While primarily detritivores, these millipedes can shift their feeding habits towards living plant tissues when populations surge or food sources become scarce. They pose a significant threat to seedlings, tubers, bulbs, and delicate root systems of various horticultural crops, leading to stunted growth or plant death.

The life cycle of this species is heavily dependent on soil moisture and temperature. Females deposit eggs in clusters within the soil, and larvae progress through multiple molting stages before reaching adulthood. Being nocturnal and photo-phobic, they typically remain hidden during the day, emerging only under moist and dark conditions.

The feeding damage is characterized by clean-cut holes and hollows in roots and stems. These injuries are often entry points for secondary bacterial and fungal infections, which accelerate the decay of the plant tissue. Their presence is most destructive during the early stages of crop establishment when the plant lacks established defenses.

• Improving soil drainage to discourage population growth.
• Removing debris and organic mulch that provides shelter and food.
• Using potato or carrot traps buried in the soil to monitor numbers.
• Encouraging natural predators such as ground beetles and centipedes.
• Implementing proper crop rotation to break the pest's life cycle.