Health Library

Millipede toxin

Millipedes are worm-like bugs. Certain types of millipedes release a harmful substance (toxin) all over their body if they are threatened or if you handle them roughly. Unlike centipedes, millipedes do not bite or sting. Millipedes have a round body like an earthworm with their legs tucked underneath, whereas centipedes have a flattened body and more prominently visible legs on each side.

The toxin that millipedes release keeps away most predators. Some large millipede species can spray these toxins as far as 32 inches (80 centimeters). Contact with these secretions may cause allergic reactions in some people.

This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual toxin exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.

I Would Like to Learn About:

Poisonous Ingredient

The harmful chemicals in millipede toxin are:

• Hydrochloric acid
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Organic acids
• Phenol
• Cresols
• Benzoquinones
• Hydroquinones (in some millipedes)

Where Found

Millipede toxin contains these chemicals.

Symptoms

If the millipede toxin gets on the skin, symptoms may include:

• Staining (skin turns brown)
• Intense burning or itching
• Blisters

If the millipede toxin gets in the eyes, symptoms may include:

• Blindness (rare)
• Inflammation of the membrane lining the eyelids (conjunctivitis)
• Inflammation of the cornea (keratitis)
• Pain
• Tearing
• Spasm of the eyelids

Nausea and vomiting may occur if you come into contact with a large number of millipedes and their toxins.

Home Care

Wash the exposed area with plenty of soap and water. Do not use alcohol to wash the area. Wash eyes with plenty of water (for at least 20 minutes) if any toxin gets in them. Get medical attention right away. Tell your health care provider if any toxin got in your eyes.

Before Calling Emergency

Have this information ready:

• The person's age, weight, and condition
• The type of millipede, if known
• The time the person was exposed to the toxin

Poison Control

The local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also get online poison help now at Poisonhelp.org. Just enter the product, poison, or medicine to get expert help.

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

If possible, bring the millipede to the emergency room for identification.

The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Most symptoms often go away within 24 hours after exposure. A brownish discoloration of the skin may persist for months. Severe reactions are mainly seen from contact with tropical species of millipedes. The outlook may be more serious if the toxin gets in the eyes. Open blisters may become infected and require antibiotics.

References

Erickson TB, Marquez A. Arthropod envenomation and parasitism. In: Auerbach PS, Cushing TA, Harris NS, eds. Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 41.

Micheletti RG, James WD, Elston DM, McMahon PJ. Parasitic infestations, stings, and bites. In: Micheletti RG, James WD, Elston DM, McMahon PJ, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin Clinical Atlas. 2nd ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 20.

Seifert SA, Dart RC, White J. Envenomation, bites, and stings. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 98.

Review Date: 10/14/2025  

Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language.

© 1997- 2026 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

All content on this site including text, images, graphics, audio, video, data, metadata, and compilations is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view the content for personal, noncommercial use. Any other use requires prior written consent from Ebix. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, publish, reverse-engineer, adapt, modify, store beyond ordinary browser caching, index, mine, scrape, or create derivative works from this content. You may not use automated tools to access or extract content, including to create embeddings, vectors, datasets, or indexes for retrieval systems. Use of any content for training, fine-tuning, calibrating, testing, evaluating, or improving AI systems of any kind is prohibited without express written consent. This includes large language models, machine learning models, neural networks, generative systems, retrieval-augmented systems, and any software that ingests content to produce outputs. Any unauthorized use of the content including AI-related use is a violation of our rights and may result in legal action, damages, and statutory penalties to the fullest extent permitted by law. Ebix reserves the right to enforce its rights through legal, technological, and contractual measures.