Re: Centipedes and bindweed

[abarb...@btinternet.com]

Hi Ian,

I must admit that I have not come across this before but, of course, there are many things we do not know about centipede biology. Centipedes, being essentially carnivores, if they are to benefit from bindweed, could do so either because it gives some sort of protection to the young animals (e.g. through "shelter" or some sort of chemical defence) or, alternatively, perhaps, though some other organism using the plant and themselves being "centipede" food.

I recall that the small bindweed that can grow in gardens was toxic - we lost a guinea pig that way many years ago.

I will copy this to a few people and see if anyone has any thoughts. Meanwhile you might look in Biology of Centipedes by John Lewis if you can find it in a library but I don't recall any reference to the association you describe.

Tony

------ Original Message ------
From: "Ian Milton" <sum...@aol.com>
To: abarb...@btinternet.com
Sent: Monday, 9 Mar, 2020 At 17:27
Subject: Centipedes and bindweed

Hi Tony,

While digging my allotment I came across a number of bits of bindweed that all seemed to be the little ‘nests’ that it forms after sprouting from seed. More often then I felt could be due to chance a young centipede came up with the nest so I was wondering if there was any relationship between the centipede and bindweed? Whether a bindweed seed is purposefully buried with a centipede egg so the nest acts as protection or something like that. I hope this doesn’t sound as far-fetched as I think it does from rereading - I was just wondering if the bindweed seed had a coating that tricks the centipede like cyclamens and sun spurges do with a sweet coating so that ants take them away and bury them.

Thanks,

Ian