The allometry of metabolism in southern African millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda)

We determined standard metabolic rate at 25 degrees C in forty-eight species of millipede from southern Africa and compared these data with confident measures of standard metabolic rate previously published for other arthropod groups. Metabolic rate in millipedes was not significantly different from that in beetles, ants or spiders once body mass effects had been accounted for, but was significantly higher than that in ticks. The exponent for the mass scaling of metabolic rate did not vary significantly between the five arthropod orders. Our best estimate for the relationship between standard metabolic rate (mu l O-2 h(-1)) and body mass (mg) in non-tick arthropods was 0.86 mass(0.73).