<p>
 I found this flat-backed millipede (order Polydesmida) specimen while walking around the Stanford campus at night after a strong winter shower. I removed a small piece of the exoskeleton cuticle, and examined it with my foldscope while shining an ultraviolet light, which produced the iridescent blue seen in the iPhone image. β-carboline has been identified as a compound involved with producing this stunning fluorescence.
</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="millipede_cuticle" class="wp-image-126099 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="126099" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="millipede_cuticle" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_126078/millipede_cuticle.jpg"/>
</figure>


Millipede Cuticle under Ultraviolet Light

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