The Portuguese millipede belongs to a group of animals that have many body segments and two pairs of legs on most body segments.
Portuguese millipedes are pests because they invade Perth homes, they are one of the few millipede species that are attracted to lights at night, and this behaviour explains why they invade houses.
They are not harmful to humans but can occur in plague numbers, contaminating food and infesting carpet and bedding. Plagues may also destroy seedlings and fruit and vegetable crops.