Symphyla

Damage
Symphylan damage is primarily due to eating out and killing the apical bud at root-tips. Then, as secondary buds along the length of the root begin to side shoot, symphylan bore in and eat them, leaving cylindrical pits (0.5-1.0 mm diameter) through the white outer layer into the inner core of the root. The root mass becomes clumped, roots branching again and again; an effect named ‘coralloid branching’.
Symphylan symptoms are most common in young plant cane. Damage results in slow growth, and weak tillering and stooling-out, which can directly or indirectly restrict yield. Plants develop a short, stunted and side-shot root mass.
With their restricted root-ball, damaged plants wilt easily in dry weather. Symptoms are usually patchy. Sometimes, rootbuds on setts are eaten out and/or sett-roots are stunted. In severe cases, all root-buds on the lower nodes of shoots are destroyed.
Ratoons can also be damaged, typically with few, short stalks and a restricted root-ball. In most cases, however, other factors may also be limiting ratooning vigour.

Description
Adult symphylans are elongate, centipede-like arthropods, white or cream in colour, 5-8 mm long, with long slender antennae. Young stages have 6-10 pairs of legs; adults 12 pairs. They can be very difficult to find in the soil.