Centipede
A centipede is a type of myriapod with many legs. Centipedes are predators. They hunt during the night; they are nocturnal. Some centipedes are venomous, but none can kill a person unless they are allergic. Centipedes are in the class Chilopoda, and related to millipedes, which are not poisonous. As the millipedes, they are segmented. They have between 5 and 173 segments, but only one pair of legs per segment. There may be 8,000 species in the world.[1]
| Chilopoda | |
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| Class: | Chilopoda
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The house centipede is a carnivore that feeds on cockroaches, house flies and other domestic pests. It is therefore beneficial. But because it has a scary appearance it is often exterminated.
Centipede Media
A collage showing the ultimate legs of various centipedes. From top left, proceeding clockwise: Rhysida spp., Scolopocryptops trogloclaudatus, Scolopendra dehaani, Lithobius proximus, Lithobius forficatus, Scolopendra cingulata.
A representative millipede and centipede (not necessarily to scale)
A centipede mother protecting her first instar offspring
A centipede (Scolopendra cingulata) being eaten by a European roller
Latzelia, a Carboniferous scutigeromorph from the Mazon Creek fossil beds. 1890 illustration by J. H. Emerton
Limulus polyphemus (aquarium) (white background)
Aptostichus simus Monterey County
Scolopendra japonica アオズムカデ 大阪府 生駒山産
Andrognathus corticarius A
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References
- ↑ Adis, Joachim & Harvey, Mark S. 2000. How many Arachnida and Myriapoda are there worldwide and in Amazonia?. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 35 (2): 139–141.