Pauropods: Pauropoda

Pauropods are very small, measuring only 0.019 to 0.078 inches (0.5 to 2.0 millimeters) in length. Their long slender white or brownish bodies are usually soft and flexible, but some are covered with relatively thick plates. The small head is directed downward. Their chewing mouthparts are small, weak, and made up of two sets of jaws. The first set of jaws has curved teeth that look like a comb. The second pair is joined together to form a flaplike structure. They lack eyes. The antennae (an-TEH-nee), or sense organs, have two branches. The body is twelve-segmented and has eight to eleven pairs of legs, one pair per body segment. There are usually only six plates across their backs, but some species have twelve. Like millipedes, the reproductive organs are located toward the front of the body on the third segment. The last segment has a special plate. The size and texture of the plate is used to distinguish different species.