Centipede
| Chilopoda (centipedes) | ||||||||
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Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are fast-moving, venomous, predatory terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs. Chiefly nocturnal, centipedes are found primarily in tropical climates. Like the closely-related millipedes, they are highly segmented (15 to 173 segments), with one pair of walking legs per segment. Centipedes are dorso-ventrally flattened, and are among the fastest and most agile of arthropod predators.
The head of a centipede has a pair of antennae and jaw-like mandibles and other mouthparts that evolved from modified appendages. The most anterior trunk segment of a centipede has a pair of poison claws (called maxillipeds) that are used for both defense and for capturing and paralyzing prey.
The familiar house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a fast-moving carnivore that feeds on insects such as cockroaches and other small invertebrates.
See also
Reference
- Neil A. Campbell, Biology: Fourth Edition, (Benjamin/Cummings Publishing, New York) 1996 page 614 ISBN 0-8053-1957-3