Centipedes
- Centipedes are predatory arthropods with one pair of legs per body segment.
- Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 382.
- All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful bites, injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules.
- Centipedes can be found in a wide variety of environments. They normally have a drab coloration combining shades of brown and red. Cavernicolous (cave-dwelling) and subterranean species may lack pigmentation, while many tropical scolopendromorps have bright aposematic colors.
- Many species of centipedes lack eyes, but some possess a variable number of ocelli, which are sometimes clustered together to form true compound eyes. However, these eyes are only capable of discerning light and dark, and have no true vision.
- The house centipede is a species of centipede that is typically yellowish-grey and has up to 15 pairs of long legs.
- Originating in the Mediterranean region, it has spread to other parts of the world, where it can live in human homes.[1]
- The house centipede is an insectivore; it kills and eats other arthropods, such as insects and arachnids.
References
Centipede. (2022, September 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede
Scutigera coleoptrata. (2022, October 3). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata