Description of Centipedes

Centipedes can be easily distinguished from their cousins, the millipedes, by counting the numbers of pairs of legs arising from the body segments. Of course, no one will do the leg counting of centipedes, but they do have features that differentiate them from millipedes. Centipedes are generally flattened and have a pair of well developed antennae on the head. Some centipedes, such as the house centipede have long legs, as seen in the picture below, and are capable of running rapidly. 

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Life Cycle

Centipedes resort to simple metamorphosis. Centipedes and millipedes spend the winter as adults in protected habitats and become active in the spring. In summertime, female centipedes lay eggs in soil and cover them with a sticky substance. Nevertheless, there are certain species that give birth to living young. Centipedes are known to live up to 6 years.

Habitat, Food, Damage

This type of insects like to live in moist habitats, and underneath rocks, locks and other objects in contact with the ground. They sleep during the day and are very active during the night. The centipede feeds on insects and spiders. They kill by grasping the prey with their fangs and injecting it with venom. Occasionally, they feed on seeding plants, especially leaves, stems and roots. Some centipedes are also carnivorous. These impressive arthropods are found in the Amazon jungle, on the island of Trinidad and Jamaica. One of the biggest species of centipede is so powerful that is can kill and devour a bat, as shown in the picture below.

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Pests Around the House

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Often, they can be found in houses. Moisture in a building’s foundation can be a problem and lead to an infestation, as can water accumulated from the roof. People should keep leaves, wood, compost and other organic material away from the sides of the home or building. If they are provoked, they bite. Usually, the bite is not medically threatening except to small children and individuals allergic to venoms. The larger species have more painful bites.

Normal centipedes do not cause problems, and people need not fear them. They may seem scary, but in a way there are very useful, since they can kill other harmful insects that destroy gardens or plants.

Though centipedes inhabit almost every corner of the Earth, most people do not know much about the hundred leggers. The house centipede sometimes startles people by showing up in bathtubs or sinks, but this is only one of an estimated 8000 species in the Class Chilopoda. Here are some interesting facts about the centipede you might not know. The centipede is the only arthropod known to have poison claws for subduing the prey. The legs of the centipede’s first segment are not for walking. Instead, they are modified to form venomous fangs, which they use to inject paralysing venom into prey. These special appendages are known as forcipules, and are unique to the centipede. Though their common name means one hundred legs, the centipede can have significantly less or more than 100 legs. Depending on the species, a centipede can have as few as 15 pairs of legs, or as many as 171 pairs. Regardless of the species, the centipede always has an odd number of leg pairs, so they never have exactly 100 legs.

You might think that the centipede is harmless, but it is actually categorised as a predator. Though some will occasionally scavenge a meal, the centipede is primarily a hunter. The smaller centipede will catch other invertebrates, including insects, molluscs, annelids and even other centipedes. The larger species, which inhabit the tropics, can consume frogs or even small birds. The centipede will usually wrap itself around the prey and wait for the venom to take effect before consuming the meal.

You would not probably expect a centipede to be a good mother, but a surprising number of them dote on their offspring. The female soil centipede and topical centipede lay an egg mass in underground an burrow. The mother wraps her body around the eggs and remains with them until they hatch, protecting them from harm. Most of the centipede species are built for speed. With the exception of the slow moving soil centipede, which are built to burrow, Chilopods can run fast. The body of centipede’s body is suspended between in a cradle of long legs. When those legs start moving, this gives the centipede more manoeuvrability over and around obstacles, as it flees predators or chases prey. The tergites, the dorsal surface of the body segments, may also be modified to keep the body from swaying while in motion.

Centipedes are metameric animals that have one pair of legs for each body segment. Centipedes can have under 20 legs or more than 300, depending on the species. Another interesting thing about centipedes is that they always have an odd number of pairs of legs, for example, you will never see some with 20 pairs of legs, they will either have 19 or 21. The scientific classification of centipedes includes the Chilopoda class, the Myriapoda subphylum, the Arthropoda phylum and the Animalia kingdom. The aspect of these tiny animals is usually influenced by different shades of red or brown. The size of centipedes can differ from a few millimeters to more than 12 inch. The 8,000 species can be found in a large variety of environments. The centipedes are very important and have a significant positive contribution in the life cycles that take place in the terrestrial ecosystems.

The centipedes may be hazardous to humans because of their bite. Their bite is an injury created by piercing the skin and injecting their venom in the wound. It is not a real bite, but it was always named this way and it remained like this. Because of the venom, the area that was bitten is painful. Swelling may also occur. Of course, the bite caused by centipedes also has other symptoms like severe pain – related to the size of the centipede, redness, headaches, palpitations, vomiting, nausea, anxiety, severe itching and burning sensations in the area.

The bite of centipedes are usually not dangerous for humans, but if the person that was bitten is allergic, it might be a problem. In children, the bite of centipedes may also be serious, but regularly there is not such a big problem. Those who suffer centipedes bites usually do a urine test and an EKG, to make sure they do not have heart problems. For pain relief, the victims of centipedes receive painkillers and anti-anxiety medication. In some cases, antibiotics are used to make sure the wounds do not get infected. Anyhow, in case of such a bite, the best thing to do is to go directly to the emergency room to make sure there is nothing serious.

Centipedes represent a group of arthropods, divided in many groups and species, but they have in common many features. Nonetheless, there are features that make them different. The name “centipedes” comes from Latin. centipedes are metameric animals, having one pair of legs per body segment. They can have between 20-300 legs and may also have pairs of venom claws.

Usually, centipedes are red and brown, as well as many hues of these colors, but there are cavernicolous and subterranean species which have bright colors. The size of centipedes is also very various, from a few millimeters to approximately 12 inch. Nowadays, are estimated to be 8,000 species of centipedes in the world, but scientists try to discover things about these creatures and new species. Centipedes can be found even beyond the Arctic Circles, as well as in deserts, tropical forests, so they occupy large areas and adapt to many types of climate. Plus, centipedes live in leaf litter, in soil, under or in dead wood, as well as under stones and in logs. They have an important contribution in the terrestrial ecosystems.

The main features of these creatures consists of a pair of antennae, a flattened head, elongated mandibles and two pairs of maxillae. Centipedes also have ocelli that sometimes can form compound eyes. This makes them have not a great vision, but they can discern light from dark.

Centipedes rely also on vibrations and sensory cells. The body is formed from several segments and almost all segments have a pair of legs, while the final two segments are smaller and legless. With their antennae, centipedes look for their prey. The digestive system of these creatures is as a tube, with digestive glands. Generally, centipedes are nocturnal, but studies have shown that there are also a few species active during the day. These animals are the prey of many birds, salamandres, mice, mongooses, beetles and snakes. The bite of centipedes can harm people and it can be very painful, producing also swelling.

The centipedes are a group of arthropods, which can be divided in several classes and orders. These species and types of the centipedes revolve on the same major characteristics, but have some aspects that make them different from one another. Although not many people are interested in these creatures, the centipedes have always been subjected to scientific research. Even if they are extremely small and seem to lack a purpose that would make them interesting for individuals, in recent years, studies of Ecology have focused on the impact and importance of the little creatures from the centipedes in the natural habitats and ecosystems.

There are several families or species of centipedes which people interested in the small creatures should be aware of. The first family of centipedes is the Scutigeromorpha. The main features of these revolve on the fact that they have 15 body segments which can develop legs and that they have a very fast movement speed. They also are the single species of the kind that has maintained the compound eyes feature from the original developing gene. Another species is the Lithobiomorpha. These particular ones are sometimes found not to have eyes at all, they have shorter legs and smaller antennae. The Craterostigmomorpha are a very small species, with only few exemplars still to be found in Tasmania and New Zealand. The Scolopendromorpha species of centipedes is different than the others, mostly due to the fact that it has 21 or more body segments and the same number of attached paired legs. Their eyes have four facets and the antennae have another 17 segments. The last species is that of the Geophilomorpha. This is in fact, the largest one of them all, as it can grow up to 27 segments that can develop legs. In addition to this, they are completely eyeless and thus, blind.

The centipedes have numerous variations in terms of species and family groups. They have developed different traits, but are still grouped together by some similarities, such as the paired legs, the segmented antennae, the segmented bodies and so on.

Centipedes are arthropods from the Animalia Kingdom, Myriapoda Subphylum and Chilopoda Class. Centipedes have a pair of legs for every body segment and the number of pairs is usually odd. The coloration of centipedes is mostly with brown or red, but some lack pigmentation. Size ranges from a few millimeters to the largest centipedes who reach 30 centimeters. In the world live about 8000 species of centipedes and they can be found in all type of habitats. Most are found in soil and leaf litter, inside logs, wood and under stones. Centipedes are extremely important for the ecosystem.

The reproduction of centipedes does not involve copulation. Males are depositing a spermatophore, containing spermatozoa for the females to take up. The spermatophore is deposited in a web and the male must court the female to convince it to swallow it. Other times, males just leave the spermatophore in such a manner so the females can easily find it. Some centipedes lay eggs in spring and some in summer, depending on the climate. Some centipedes species, like Lithobiomorpha and Scutigeromorpha lay their eggs in the soil, fill the holes and leave them there. They lay from 10 to 50 eggs. The development of the embryo depends on the species, but it usually takes between one and 6 months. Some centipedes may be reproductive earlier in their life, some later. A species named S. coleoptera enters adulthood after 3 years. In comparison with insects, centipedes live far more time – some even reach 5 or 6 years.

The Geophilomorpha and Scolopendromorpha species show more parental care than others. After the eggs are laid -  between 15 and 60, the females guard them and lick them to keep fungi away. In some species, the females even stay with the younger centipedes until they reach early adulthood and they are ready to leave the nest. If the females centipedes are disturbed, they will either eat or abandon their eggs. Abandoned eggs are usually prey of fungi. In some species of Scolopendramorpha, the offsprings are eating their mothers, these type of actions making the species to be named matriphagic.

Centipedes are really impressive animals. Not only that they are the most sensitive animals to touch, but centipedes also are the animals most rarely seen by humans, due to their lifestyle, which mostly is nocturnal. A very impressive fact about centipedes is that they have the ability to move really fast, so there is no wonder that the encounter with humans is not very common. Still, centipedes are described as some of the most agile nocturnal animals.

There are numerous species of centipedes known today and their characteristics are going to vary from one specie to another. So, while some have 200 optical units eyes, others have no eyes at all, being perfectly blind. In such cases, centipedes will only be able to feel and catch their prey with the use of touch. On the other hand, there are species of centipedes which have 173 pairs of legs, but commonly they are only going to have 15 to 30 pairs. Centipedes are considered to be among the arthropods with the longest lifespan, as they can can live up to six years. A very important and interesting fact about centipedes is linked to the way they hunt. Since they are venomous, centipedes are able to defend themselves from all type of predators. Anyway, you should not worry as centipedes venom is not fatal, at least to humans, but avoiding the contact with them will be a great idea, as many people are allergic to them and is cases like that serious reactions to the venom can be experienced.

Nowadays, there are 8000 species of centipedes known to exist all over the world. Numerous species can be found in the United States, while a very curious thing about them is that they can have a size between a few millimeters and up to 30 cm long. First centipedes have been found more than 400 million years ago. For many years centipedes have been used, in some cultures, in the treatments of diseases such as malaria. When the individuals of this species lose a leg, it can grow another one, to replace the lost.

Throughout the years, people have always been interested in finding as many information about animals. Some of the most intriguing animals are the centipedes, but they have only been classified in 1817, by the French zoologist Pierre Latreille. Centipedes are thus part of the Myriad group and they belong to the Chilpoda class. They resemble the millipedes, as they are all long, slender, and they have many legs and body segments. The difference between them is that centipedes have only one pair of legs attached to each body segment, and the millipedes have two pairs. Centipedes are generally outdoor animals and they can be found in protected and damp locations. They are hiding under boards, rocks or logs, so people rarely get the chance to see them. Another reason why centipedes are hard to spot is due to the fact that they are nocturnal creatures, so they are active at night and they hide during the day.

The size of centipedes varies from 5 to 70 millimeters. Centipedes also can come in different colors, from pale yellow to dark brown. Most centipedes love moisture and as they do not have a waterproof layer, they tend to seek for moist areas, where there is no danger of drying up. Another interesting fact is that most centipedes are either blind, or they have a poor eyesight. As a result, they developed a strong sensitivity to touch. Their major sense organs are the antennae, which allow centipedes to feel and to smell everything around them. Centipedes also have a pair of poisonous claws, which they use to catch and to kill their pray. Their meal usually includes spiders, worms, woodlice, mites and many other insects. Although they have poisonous claws, it is unlikely for centipedes to bite humans. Even if they do, their venom has no effect, and it normally only causes some local, temporary pain. Regarding their reproduction, it is known that female centipedes usually lay 35 eggs, in or on the soil ground. When they are born, baby centipedes only have four pairs of legs, but the number increases as they grow up.

Centipedes do not cause any harm to humans. On the contrary, they may be even useful, because they kill other harmful insects that can destroy your gardens. House centipedes are more dangerous though, as they are considered pests in many regions of the United States. They were first recorded in 1849, in Pennsylvania, but their number has increased significantly since then, due to the large number of eggs that the females lay. House centipedes usually seek indoor spaces and they can be found in many buildings, hiding beneath concrete slabs, cement block walls, cardboard boxes and into floor drains, so generally in damp, cool locations. If you have problems with house centipedes, pesticides are the best way to get rid of them. Other than that, normal centipedes should not cause any problems, so there is no need to fear them.