 Many of these mites are believed to be phoretic rather than parasitic, which means that they use the millipede host as a means of dispersal.A novel interaction between millipedes and mosses was described in 2011, in which individuals of the newly discovered "Psammodesmus bryophorus" was found to have up to ten species living on its dorsal surface, in what may provide camouflage for the millipede and increased dispersal for the mosses.Millipedes generally have little impact on human economic or social well-being, especially in comparison with insects, although locally they can be a nuisance or agricultural pest.