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When millipedes mate the male clamps hold of the female, legs fitted perfectly into one another, the male will hold onto the female, not allowing her to coil up, then he will insert his penis into her and mating will take place.
Now to your eyes what you will see is the millipedes fixed together face to face, and what looks like a translucent, white, jelly like object were the genitals should be. This means your millipedes are mating.
Archispirostreptus gigas pair mating
Aulacobolus rubropunctatus pair mating
Not all matings are successful, and many millipedes produce infertil eggs.
Most species of millipede will lay their eggs within their droppings, this is to disguise them and keep them safe from danger.
Gestation in a millipede depending on species can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months! after the eggs are laid morphing and hatching can take up to a further 6 months in some species although its usually more in the region of 2 months.
Spirostreptidae sp. are different in the way they lay their eggs.
The female will bury down deep into the substrate or even sometimes just under a piece of bark or cave, but usually underground, she will lay a large clutch of eggs about 2mm in size and a yellowy colour, she will coil around the eggs and stay with them for as long as she can go without food and water to protect them, sometimes she will even die in the process.
Other millipedes once eggs are laid they have nothing more to do with them or the babies.
Spirostreptus sp. eggs
Almost all other large species of millipede lay their eggs inside their droppings, this is a deffensive thing, so that predators who might feed on the eggs cannot find them.
the babies develop inside the dropping until ready to hatch when they eat their was out, emerging as miniature millipedes but white in colour.
Egg cases, after babies have hatched
Newly emerged babies
As the babies get older they will shed constantly and with each shed comes more segments, the babies will become more alongated and will start to get colour.
Baby millipedes may go through many different colour changes before reaching adult colouration.
Species such as Spirostreptus hamatus, Spirostreptus brachycerus, Chicobolus spinigerus and other long, slender species, the babies will be a lot longer too from hatching.
Species wuch as Pachybolus ligulatus and Ephibolus pulchripes who are much shorter and thicker as adults will also look more stumpy as babies.
