Bug FAQSigmocheir furcata
Sigmocheir furcata · Order: Polydesmida · Family: Xystodesmidae
Sigmocheir furcata has a trimaculate pattern with an ovoid yellow spot on the mid-tergite and yellow paranota. Its legs and antennae are light-colored, and the antennae are long enough to reach the third tergite.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species shows a trimaculate pattern with an ovoid yellow spot on the mid-tergite and yellow paranota. Legs and antennae are light-colored; the antennae are long, reaching back to the third tergite.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is the northernmost member of its genus, found in the Sierra Nevada foothills north and southeast of Sacramento.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Compared with other Sigmocheir species, its paranota arise slightly lower on the tergites, giving a more domed appearance.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell Sigmocheir furcata apart from similar millipedes?
Look for the trimaculate pattern with an ovoid yellow spot on the mid-tergite, yellow paranota, and note that its paranota start lower on the tergites, making the body appear more domed.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Xystodesmidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmocheir_furcata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.