Diplopods play an important role in the nutrients
cycling and soil aeration, keeping the soil healthy
and productive, integrating a beneficial macrofauna that
may be liable to the action of chemicals applied in order
to control and eliminate other organisms considered
harmful to crops. However, diplopods can also become
the target of these pesticides when they occur in large
populations that invade urban areas and damage home
gardens and commercial plantations. Given the fine line
that makes diplopods be considered ecologically beneficial
or economically troublesome, this study aims to
review the action of different pesticides on these organisms,
both when they are mere scapegoats and when
they are the villains. Given these data, it lastly discussed
the feasibility of using chemical control methods.
