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#41: Centipedes

©Didier Descouens
Litinsects #41: Centipedes

Now for the centipedes! If you missed my last post on millipedes, go back and check it out...

So how do they differ from millipedes? Unlike millipedes, which are mainly detritivores, centipedes are VENOMOUS and PREDATORY. Millipedes have a more cylindrical body whereas centipedes are usually flattened. Millipedes have (as the Latin name Diplopoda suggests) two leg pair per body segment but centipedes have only one pair per segment. As for the number of legs, centipedes can range from having 15 to about 170 pairs; this is generally fewer than millipedes have but it’s not always the case. Finally, millipedes tend to travel pretty slowly while centipedes are fast runners.

Centipedes make up the group CHILOPODA. In Greek, “khelios” means lip and “poda” means foot. The name describes a pair of pincer-like appendages called FORCIPULES, located right behind the head, with which they inject venom to paralyze prey. So the “bite” of a centipede actually comes from its first pair of legs.

  • Centipedes always have an ODD NUMBER of leg pairs. So there actually are no centipedes with 100 legs
  • Leg length usually increases from front to back, ensuring that they do not overlap when running
  • The Amazonian giant centipede, one of the largest species, grows up to 30 cm. It preys on many other arthropods but also vertebrates including lizards, frogs, small birds, mice, and bats
  • The smallest species is the Hoffman’s dwarf centipede, which is 1 cm long and has 41 pairs of legs

The species in this photo is the house centipede. This is generally the only centipede that you might find inside your house. Although it is creepy looking and very fast (0.4 m/s!), they are pretty much harmless to humans and are great at controlling household pests like flies, moths, bed bugs, roaches, and more. They won’t bite you, won’t damage any of your stuff, and are constantly hunting bugs. So if you find one, consider not killing it!

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