Predators of Ommatoiulus Moreletii (Lucas) (Diplopoda: Iulidae) in Portugal and Australia

The Portuguese millipede Ommatoiulus moreletii (Lucas) is an introduced pest in southern Australia. A variety of predators (including spiders, centipedes, carabid and staphylinid beetles, reptiles and mammals) were found in Portugal, and fed upon O. moreletii in the laboratory. Few predators were found in South Australia which accepted the millipede as prey. The beetle Staphylinus olens Müller and the hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus L., both of which are common in Portugal, were particularly voracious. In the field, unidentified predators caused significant mortality of O. moreletii in Portugal but not in Australia. It is inferred that the greater abundance of O. moreletii in Australia compared with Portugal is due in part to a lack of effective predators.