What is the name of the centipede? Giant centipede: killer with poisonous claws

Taxonomy of the superclass Centipedes:

Class: Chilopoda Leach, 1814 =

Order/Order: Craterostigmomorpha =

Order/Order: Geophilomorpha = Geophiles

Order/Order: Lithobiomorpha = Drupes

Order/Order: Scolopendromorpha = Scolopendra

Order/Order: Scutigeromorpha Pocock, 1895 = Scutigers

Class: Diplopoda Blainville et Gervais, 1844 = Dipopods

Subclass: Chilognatha Latreille, 1802 =

Subclass: Penicillata =

Order/Order: Sphaerotherida =

Order/Order: Spirostreptida =

Class: Pauropoda Lubbock, 1866 = Pauropoda

Superorder/Superorder: Tetamerocerata =

Class: Symphyla Ryder, 1880 = Symphyla

Brief description of the superclass

Class Myriapoda includes about 10,000 species of exclusively terrestrial, sometimes quite large, arthropods. The worm-shaped, elongated body of centipedes is divided into two sections: a fused head and a jointed body, which often consists of a significant number of segments equipped with limbs.
All centipedes are combined into 4 subclasses: symphylos ( Symphyla), pauropods ( PauropodaDiplopoda), and labiopods ( Chilopoda).
Structure and physiology. The body of centipedes consists of segments sharply separated from each other, the number of which varies widely: from 18 in symphyla (subcl. Symphyla) and 14 in pauropods (connect. Pauropoda) up to 181 in some labiopods (podkl. Chilopoda).
The head of Myriapoda is clearly distinct from the body. It includes akron and 4 merged with it (connection. Symphyla And Chilopoda) or 3 (connect. Pauropoda And Diplopoda) first segments of the body. In the second case, the last head segment remains free and is called “cervical”. This structural feature of the head of some centipedes is rightly considered as a primitive feature.
The head bears antennae and oral limbs: the upper jaws are mandibles, or mandibles, and the lower jaws are maxillae, of which there can be one or two pairs, depending on the number of segments included in the head.
The antennae, or antennae, of centipedes correspond to the antennules (antennae I) of crayfish and belong to the acron. They are more or less long, thin, divided into segments and mostly unbranched. Apparently, they serve as organs not only of touch, but also of smell. The limbs corresponding to the antennae of the second crayfish and belonging to the first body segment in centipedes are reduced. But their segment, called pntercalar, exists. The other head limbs are transformed into mouthparts and are homologous to the corresponding mouthparts of crayfish. Their structure is different in different subclasses of centipedes. Representatives of subclasses Symphyla And Chilopoda the mouth is covered in front by a chitinized fold of integument - upper lip; the latter in origin has nothing to do with the limbs. The mandibles, the limbs of the second segment, consist of two short chewing plates with serrated inner edge. The first and second pairs of mandibles (limbs of segments III and IV, respectively) in most representatives consist of a base on which the articulated maxillary palp and unsegmented chewing lobes sit. Both the palp and lobes can be partially reduced.
Representatives of subclasses Pauropoda And Diplopoda behind the upper lip and a pair of powerful serrated mandibles there is only one unpaired plate - the gnathochilarium, quite complex structure. The history of development shows that it is formed in the form of a paired rudiment and corresponds to the first pair of lower jaws of labiopods. The limbs of the cervical segment were reduced.
The head is followed by a mostly uniformly constructed body. However, strictly homonomic segmentation is expressed only in the most primitive forms. During the process of evolution, the nature of segmentation changes noticeably. In some centipedes (a number of labiopods), part of the body segments noticeably decreases in size. In this case, the reduced and normal segments alternate quite regularly. A different picture is observed among representatives of the subclass Diplopoda, in which there is a pairwise fusion of most of the segments (except for the first four, including the “cervical” segment). Each such double segment respectively carries not one, but two pairs of limbs.
Such deviations from the original primitive homonomy do not lead, however, to the division of the body into tagmas. Only among the Kivsyaks the first trunk segments, bearing one pair of limbs and thus different from the others, together with the legless “neck” segment are sometimes designated as “thoracic”, and the double segments that follow them are “abdominal”.
The uniformity of the body segments of centipedes also determines the similarity in the structure of their limbs, which have the appearance of simple walking legs, consisting of one row of segments and ending in a claw. Examples of their functional and morphological differentiation are few. Thus, labiopods are characterized by the transformation of the legs of the first trunk segment into jaws that play main role in capturing and killing prey. This pair of legs greatly increases in size and has an extremely thickened main segment, while the terminal segment is strongly pointed and bent in the form of a hook. At the base of the limb lies a poisonous gland, the duct of which opens at the end of the hook. The poison released has a strong effect on arthropods and vertebrates. Finger bite by a large scolopendra ( Scolopendra) causes temporary swelling of the entire arm. Some pairs of legs that take part in copulation change slightly in structure and are called gonopodium.
The body is covered with a chitinous, sometimes lime-impregnated cuticle secreted by a single-layer hypodermal epithelium. The latter is quite rich in unicellular and multicellular skin glands, among which the protective glands of the noose are especially interesting. They are placed on the dorsal side of part of the body segments and open outward with defensive holes from which secretions are sprayed. U different types subclass Diplopoda secret varies unusually in appearance and chemical properties. Yes, it's a secret Spirobolus It is corrosive and turns human skin dark. Polyzonium rosalbum secretes a milky liquid that has the smell and burning taste of camphor. Tropical Fontarla contains free hydrocyanic acid in the glands and smells of bitter almonds.
Digestive system the centipede has the appearance of a straight tube; Only in the region of the hindgut does the digestive canal form a loop-like bend.
The mouth lies on the ventral side of the head between the oral limbs and leads into the foregut, often called the esophagus. With the initial department digestive system salivary glands are connected. Kivsyaks have three pairs of glands that open as independent ducts into the oral cavity and at the base of the gnathohilarium. Due to their formation from the mesoderm, these glands are considered modified coelomoducts. Labiopods have 3-5 pairs salivary glands with independent ducts opening into the oral cavity or on the sides of the mouth. They appear to be of purely ectodermal origin, i.e., they represent modified skin glands. Salivary glands, opening on the second pair of jaws, are equated to the spinning glands of insect larvae, the openings of which are located on the same pair of oral limbs.
The midgut serves as the site of digestion and absorption of food. The hindgut is short.
Representatives of the subclass Diplopoda they are herbivorous and feed mainly on rotting leaves, plant debris, wood dust, etc. Labiopods are predators that feed on insects.
Excretory system. At the border between the midgut and hindgut, 1 or 2 pairs flow into the intestine (the latter in Chilopoda) long tubes blindly closed at the free end - Malpighian vessels. Nodules of uric acid accumulate in the epithelium of blood vessels and their lumen; the latter in centipedes, as well as in insects, is the main excretory product. In addition to the Malpighian vessels, other formations also play an excretory role, primarily lymphatic glands in the form of irregular cellular cords located either along the Malpighian vessels, or along the abdominal blood vessel, or along the abdominal nerve cord. They serve to capture and accumulate solid waste products and phagocytize solid particles injected into the body cavity (for example, carcass powder or carmine). In addition, the fat body takes part in the secretion. The body cavity - the mixocoel - of centipedes is in many places filled with irregular cords and accumulations of cells, and these accumulations are limited by a thin membrane of its own. The collection of such accumulations is called the fat body. Numerous drops of fat, as well as nodules of uric acid, are observed in its cells. The fat body serves not only to accumulate reserve nutritional material, but also to excrete (uric acid).
Nervous system consists of the brain, peripharyngeal connectives and ventral nerve cord. The brain has a rather complex histological structure, indicating that the head of centipedes is formed from segments that exceed the number of pairs of cephalic appendages. In the brain, in addition to a pair of ganglia that send nerves to the antennae, there are also paired clusters nerve cells, corresponding to the intercalary (intercalary) segment.
The abdominal chain consists of the subpharyngeal ganglion located in the head, which innervates all oral limbs, and of long row trunk ganglia, well separated and sitting on a common paired longitudinal nerve trunk. Each segment usually has one paired ganglion. U Diplopoda such a device is observed only in four anterior segments, while the others contain two ganglia located one after the other, which proves the complex composition of these segments.
Organs of touch and smell with there are antennae lined with sensitive hairs, sensitive cones, etc. In addition, on the sides of the head, between the bases of the antennae and the eyes, there are two temesvar sensory organs (apparently, chemoreceptors). These are either horseshoe-shaped pits, at the bottom of which there are ridges of sensitive cells, or clusters of sensitive cells located under the integument of the head in the depths of long narrow canals. The Temeswar organs are innervated from the brain. The vast majority of centipedes are equipped with eyes; there may be 2, 4 or many of them. The eyes sit on the sides of the head and have the character of single, simply arranged ocelli. Only in flycatchers ( Scutigera) on the head are two large clusters of ocelli, so close together that they touch each other and resemble the complex faceted eyes of insects. Centipedes' visual abilities are poor. Millipedes prefer shaded areas.
Respiratory organs represented by tracheas - thin air-bearing tubes of ectodermal origin, arising as deep invaginations of the integument. The walls of the trachea are lined with a continuation of the outer cuticle, which forms a spiral thickening along the entire length of the tracheal tube, preventing the trachea from collapsing. The tracheae begin with paired spiracles, or stigmas, lying on the ventral side of the body segments. The initial form of the tracheal system should be considered one in which each body segment carries a pair of stigmas, and each stigma leads to a separate bundle of thin tracheal tubes. The closest subclass to this scheme is Diplopoda, in whose representatives almost all body segments are equipped with paired bundles of unbranched tracheas independent of each other. Due to the double nature of the trunk segments, the latter bear not 1, but 2 pairs of spiracles. In most species of the subclass Chilopoda stigmas are located on the body through a segment, and in some forms (for example, Scutigera) the animal has only 7 pairs of stigmata, but the tracheal network itself is much more complexly developed in labiopods. The tracheas of some of them are strongly branched, and communications in the form of longitudinal and transverse bridges are established between the tracheal bundles of adjacent segments and the same segment (right and left). The terminal branches of the trachea of ​​centipedes entwine everything internal organs. The change of air in the trachea occurs due to changes in body volume during contraction and relaxation of muscles.
Circulatory system quite well developed, in addition to the heart there is a system of peripheral blood vessels. The heart, in the form of a delicate transparent tube, stretches above the intestine along the entire body and closes blindly at the back or continues into two short vessels that are lost in the muscles. The heart is divided into chambers according to segments: each chamber has two ostia. At the subclass Diplopoda, where the segments are double, with two pairs of awns per segment. The heart continues into the cephalic aorta, which goes to the brain. In labiopods circulatory system its structure is complex: the aorta gives off an arterial ring on its way to the brain, which goes around the intestine and flows into the abdominal longitudinal vessel, which lies above the abdominal nerve cord. In addition, 2 lateral arteries depart from each chamber of the heart. The heart is suspended from the walls of the body using special pterygoid muscles. The vessels extending from the heart branch more or less richly, but then break off, and the hemolymph enters the lacunae of the myxocoel, i.e., into the spaces between the organs. From the lacunae it enters the pericardial region of the body cavity and from there again to the heart. The heart drives hemolymph from the posterior end to the anterior; in the abdominal vessel it moves in the opposite direction.
Reproductive system. All millipedes are dioecious. The gonads only in rare cases retain (some pauropods) their originally paired character and usually merge into an unpaired formation various types. So, the testis, for example, looks like a massive formation with blades along the edge or a long thin tube, or consists of 11-12 pairs of small lobules connected by a common genital duct. In the initial part, the oviduct and vas deferens are unpaired ducts. Moving forward, they bifurcate and open outward on the ventral side of the second (not counting the cervical) trunk segment. The genital opening in symphyla and pauropods is located on the same segment.
For representatives of the subclass Chilopoda The reproductive duct is unpaired in the initial part and can form two branches, which then necessarily merge. The genital opening is located on the penultimate segment of the body.
A number of additional formations are associated with the reproductive system of centipedes. Thus, long sac-like seminal vesicles often flow into the vas deferens. Women's reproductive system may be equipped with seminal receptacles. Special accessory glands often develop.
The methods of fertilization of centipedes are varied. In a simpler case, the male hangs a drop of seminal fluid or a real spermatophore on the web he has allocated, which are later picked up by the female. Sometimes copulation occurs, and in this case the seminal fluid is introduced into the female’s genital opening by the male’s limbs (most often specialized limbs, gonopodiums, are used for this purpose).
Development. The eggs of centipedes are large and rich in yolk, accordingly they undergo partial, superficial crushing. Postembryonic development Myriapoda can occur in two slightly different types,
The first type, or true direct development, is found in some representatives of the subclass Chilopoda (Geophilus, Scolopendra): a young animal hatches from an egg with full number trunk segments and limbs, i.e. it is quite similar to the maternal organism. The second type, or development with anamorphosis, is found in other labiopods and bipeds. In this case, the animal hatches with an incomplete number of body segments, which are replenished during a series of molts. With each moult, segments following it in order are added to the existing segments behind the last formed segment. Their formation occurs due to the growth zone, which lies directly in front of the telson (i.e., in the same place as in crayfish larvae). Juveniles of anamorphic species sub. Chilopoda hatches with 12 pairs of trunk limbs, juveniles sub. Diplopoda- with only 3 front pairs of walking legs, followed by several legless segments. This six-legged stage resembles the larvae of many insects when they still lack wing rudiments.
Ecology. Millipedes are predominantly nocturnal, animals that avoid daylight, hiding under bark, stones, etc. Millipedes are very clumsy and slow, while labiopods, on the contrary, are dexterous and distinguished by their speed of movement.
Many centipedes exhibit care for their offspring. They either lay their eggs in special nests made of earth or other material, or they curl up in a spiral around a laid pile of eggs and remain in this position for several weeks, without eating, until the young hatch.
In the north, the diversity of millipedes is small. In the south - in Crimea, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia the number of their species is increasing. The largest scolopendras and nods - up to 28 cm long and a finger thick - are found only under the tropics. The smallest centipedes are only 1-3 mm in length. All centipedes, except podkl. Chilopoda, are completely harmless. Bites from large labiopods, e.g. Scolopendra, may be painful.
Classification. Centipedes are divided into 4 subclasses (sometimes they are given the meaning of independent classes): symphyla ( Symphyla), pauropods ( Pauropoda), bipeds, or nods ( Diplopoda), and labiopods ( Chilopoda).

Literature: A. Dogel. Zoology of invertebrates. Edition 7, revised and expanded. Moscow "Higher School", 1981

The long body, the edges of which are strewn with legs, is a centipede insect, as is commonly believed, although with biological point this is not true. They are a separate superclass of arthropods. Its representatives can be seen almost all over the world, with the exception of regions with permafrost. Centipedes are not uncommon in middle lane and even in human dwellings.

Description of centipedes and their common types

On Latin this superclass of invertebrate animals is called Myriapoda. It includes 4 classes of arthropods:

• labiopods;
• bipedal;
• pauropods;
• symphil.

All of them are centipedes, although each of the classes has its own distinctive features, distinguishing them from other relatives.

The most famous representatives of this superclass, with which humans deal, are:

1. , widespread in temperate latitudes ah, including Eurasia. The length of adult specimens ranges from 2 to 25 cm. Chickweeds are very fond of humidity. This is one of the reasons for the appearance of centipedes in the apartment. They easily penetrate bathrooms and toilets. Sensing danger, they quickly curl up into a spiral.
2. The drupe has a short (up to 25 mm) red body, which is slightly flattened. Thanks to this, the centipede can easily enter rooms through narrow cracks.
3. The flycatcher, often called the centipede, is another frequent visitor to homes. She prefers well-moistened places, so she usually chooses a bathroom, basement or basement room for her habitat. It has a segmented body of 15 sections, each of which has a pair of legs. The legs on the last segment are noticeably longer than on the others, and they are confused with antennae. The paws of the anterior segment partially perform the function of capturing food.
4. Scolopendra is a genus of 90 species. Its representatives live in areas with warm climate. Their poison and mucus are dangerous to humans.

There are 12,000 species of centipedes in total.

Structure

The body of each centipede consists of a long body and a rounded head. Usually the latter is almost flat at the bottom (lipopods are an exception to this rule), so that it is easier for the arthropod to move along surfaces. There is also a pair of antennae on the head that serve as tactile and olfactory organs. Scientifically they are called antenulli. Nutrition is provided by 2 pairs of jaws: the upper ones are the mandibles, and the lower ones are the maxillae.

The elongated body of the centipede has the shape of an elongated cylinder and consists of many segments, each of which is provided with a pair or more legs (often 4 legs on the abdominal segments and 2 on the thoracic segments). Therefore, it is impossible to definitively answer the question of how many legs a centipede has. Their number can be 742 (this is the number of limbs recorded in Siphonophora millepeda from Puerto Rico), but usually much less - 10–400 pieces.

The number of legs in centipedes varies even within the same species and depends on the sex of the individual: females have more limbs.

Centipedes are almost blind, and most species can only distinguish between light and dark, while others have no eyes at all. But they have a good sense of smell and touch. Color usually varies from gray to brown. Centipedes are often decorated with dark stripes. Meet tropical species very bright color.

How do centipedes live?

Different types of centipedes inhabit almost the entire Earth. They are most often found in forests of temperate and tropical latitudes. They can also live in meadows, steppes and even deserts near water sources. The exception is regions with permafrost.

For successful life and intensive reproduction, centipedes require a sufficient amount of moisture. Unlike spiders and insects, they lack a waxy cuticle, which retains water in the body. Therefore, centipedes prefer to hide in sunny days under stones, trees, construction waste and in other secluded corners.

Nutrition

All centipedes are predators by nature. Although an experiment conducted in a laboratory showed that in the absence of food for a long time, they do not disdain plant food.

Antennae play an important role in hunting prey. They reveal the presence of insects, which are the main victims of small-sized species. Centipedes inject poison into their prey. At the same time, for example, the giant scolopendra is not averse to feasting on frogs and slow birds. Hunting usually takes place at night. But centipedes themselves often become prey. When in danger, they prefer to flee or hide.

Reproduction

In regions with temperate climate Centipedes lay eggs in spring and summer when the air temperature is warm enough. In hot countries, this process continues year-round. Pregnant female vomits wet soil a small hole where it lays from 10 to 50 small eggs, and then camouflages the place by lightly sprinkling it with earth.

The duration of embryonic development varies greatly among species. It may take from 1 to several months. The stages of growth and their timing, life length also differ. Some species live up to 6 years, which is a significant indicator.

Some females, particularly centipedes, are caring mothers, guarding the clutch and even young offspring.

Centipedes in the house: a scary neighborhood

Centipedes often appear in the house. They come to a person’s home in search of food: cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas, moths. The need for moisture forces people to live in the basement, bathroom, or basement. To hunt, centipedes can crawl out of their hiding places into other rooms.

A centipede bite is usually not dangerous. The exception is poisonous species living in regions with warm climates. In temperate latitudes, there are individuals that are unable to bite through human skin. Moreover, arthropods cannot be called aggressive creatures that attack people. On the contrary, very often when large animals, and especially humans, appear, they hurry to retreat.

But still, the inhabitants of the premises in which these creatures have appeared often begin to look for ways to get rid of the centipede at home. This is mainly due to disgust and disgust towards creatures appearance who can hardly be called attractive. Although some exotic lovers keep arthropods as pets.

What to do?

How to get rid of a house centipede that has become an uninvited guest? First of all, you need to inspect the ventilation shafts in the bathroom and toilet, and also check the grilles in the floor. These are the main routes of entry into arthropods. If necessary, you can install a mosquito net on them, and then periodically treat it with insecticides.

It is important to remember that the centipede does not live in dry areas. Therefore, if a faucet is leaking somewhere, the problem must be repaired. She also needs a lot of food, and most likely there are many other pests in the house that need to be dealt with.

Chemical insect control agents

There are no specific drugs to combat the millipede. You can use universal insecticides against it:

• the well-known “Dichlorvos”;
• aerosol "Raid";
• gel against cockroaches "Great Warrior"
• "Medilis-Ziper" is a toxic, but very effective remedy.

But it is useless to use sticky traps - only a few legs will remain on them, which will be a minor loss for the centipede.

The only harm that a centipede brings to the house is the psychological discomfort of being in its proximity. To get rid of it, you need to fight other insects and high humidity; and also use special insecticidal agents.

The word “centipede” involuntarily evokes a natural reaction of disgust in many of us. We involuntarily shudder when fantasy helpfully slips us a very unpleasant-looking creature with a myriad of legs. Most people, wondering how many legs a centipede has, mistakenly believe that there are forty, which is a common misconception. In fact, this is a common name, since entomologists have not yet found an insect that would have exactly forty legs. There are many specimens in nature, and each species has different quantities legs

In different species centipedes quantity legs may vary, but on average they have from 15 to 20 pairs of limbs along the body. You can see a centipede with either 60 or 80 limbs.

What is noteworthy: several years ago, scientists found an individual with 96 legs. That is, only 48 pairs! This find was a real discovery in the field of entomology, since it turned out to be the only specimen with an even number of legs. All other centipedes known to science have odd number, starting from 15 legs, which is surprising.

The limbs of these insects directly depend on the size of the individual: the larger it is, the more legs it has. Centipedes are easy to confuse with other creeping “brethren”, for example, with a flycatcher or. The latter, by the way, has 42 legs.

Where did the name centipede come from?

So why did the insect, which has the scientific name “centipede,” come to be called a centipede, if the number of its limbs can vary both up and down? The fact is that in ancient times this number meant an indefinite amount of something. That is, it used to be believed that “forty” was a lot. And when asked how many legs a centipede has, this is still the number given.

This is where the familiar name for this not very attractive insect comes from. In fact, a given individual may have a different number of legs - it all depends on the specific species.

It is also interesting that the number of legs of a centipede gradually increases as it grows older. Moreover, they can be either barely noticeable or arachnid. But no matter how unattractive the centipede may be, it is absolutely harmless to humans. On the contrary: it is a dangerous enemy for insect pests such as cockroaches and bedbugs. Essentially, it performs the same function as a house cat against mice. Some even keep a couple of centipedes in a terrarium and feed them small insects, but it’s better to get fish! 🙂

Centipedes(lat. Myriapoda) - a superclass that unites four classes of terrestrial arthropods (symphyla, labiopods, biparopods and pauropods, the latter are usually combined into one group). Typical representatives of millipedes: Californian scolopendra and giant scolopendra, drupe, common flycatcher, nodule.

Currently, scientists have described more than 12,000 species, including 11 fossil species (most of them - about 8,000 - Diplopoda).

The length of centipedes ranges from 2 mm to 35 cm.

The head consists of 4-5 segments. Behind the head there is a relatively uniformly segmented body, not divided into sections, but with a pronounced tendency towards diplosegmentation (pairwise fusion of segments).

The number of legs in different species of this superclass varies from 750 (Illacme plenipes) to 10 or less legs.

The oldest fossil representatives of the superclass of centipedes (Pneumodesmus newmani from the class of bipeds) were discovered in layers dating back to the late Silurian period (age about 428 million years).

Molecular analysis indicates that this superclass took shape as an independent clade already in the Cambrian period, which is partly confirmed by fossil finds resembling centipedes. As of 2005, P. newmani was known to be the oldest land animal discovered.

Traditionally, millipedes were considered as the closest relatives of insects, with which they were combined into the taxon Uniramia (single-branched, based on the structure of the limbs) or Atelocerata (incomplete, based on the nature of the specialization of the head limbs). Currently, there are several hypotheses about systematic position centipedes.

Some believe that centipedes, although they belong to the Mandibulata, along with crustaceans and insects, cannot be considered as the closest relatives of the latter. A number of authors even remove millipedes from the Mandibulata and bring them closer to the chelicerates. Most researchers are still of the opinion that centipedes are either a sister or paraphyletic group to insects.

In the first case, the monophyly of the millipedes themselves is recognized. As synapomorphies, the specifically arranged secondary dissected upper jaws, or mandibles, the structure of which differs from the monolithic single-segmented mandibles of insects and crustaceans, as well as the indicated tendency to diplosegmentation, are indicated. However, some features indicate that diplosegments may also be present in insects (Dimalata).

In the second case, millipedes are not recognized as a single, monophyletic group and are divided into two groups of incomplete antennae - Monomalata, which includes labiopods and Collifera, and Dimalata, which includes symphylos and insects.

And now a little interesting facts about centipedes:

A centipede does not necessarily have 40 legs. Centipede is a common name for different species of arthropods, scientifically grouped into the superclass centipedes. Different species of centipedes have from 30 to 400 or more legs, and this number can vary even among individuals of the same species. In English, two names have been established for these animals - centipede ("centipede" translated from Latin) and millipede ("millipede"). Moreover, the difference between them is significant - millipedes are not dangerous to humans, but centipedes bite very painfully.

In addition, centipedes do not harm people. They eat plants that carry diseases or are destructive to homes, and their purpose in life is, one might say, to rid their own home of any other insects or pests. So the next time you see a centipede in your house, don’t rush to crush it, but just let it crawl away calmly - perhaps it will still benefit you.

The white centipede of the species Illacme plenipes is a creature with the most a large number legs in the animal world. The two-legged creature became a record holder, being the owner of 750 legs.
This centipede, whose Latin name can be translated as “the apogee of the abundance of legs,” can only be found in the state of North Carolina in the United States. And despite such a number of legs, its length does not exceed 1 - 3 cm.

There is none known science centipede, which would have exactly 40 legs.

It is curious that centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs. Why - no one knows for sure.

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Structural features

In the second case, centipedes are not recognized as a single, monophyletic group and are divided into two groups of incomplete antennae - Monomalata, which includes labiopods and Collifera, and Dimalata, in which symphylos and insects are placed.

Classification of centipedes

In accordance with the monophyly hypothesis of centipedes, the four classes are grouped as follows. Labiopods stand somewhat apart from the other three classes that form the group Progoneata. All Progoneata are characterized by a number of specialized structural features (synapomorphies) unique to them. For example, the genital ducts open near the anterior end of the body; During the development of the embryo, the yolk ends up not in the intestine, but in the body cavity (later, yolk-rich cells form the fat body).

Within Progoneata clearly defined monophyletic group Collifera, including pauropods and bipeds. A number of synapomorphies speak in favor of its monophyly: there are only two pairs of oral limbs (mandibles and gnathochilarium, which is a product of the fusion of the first pair of maxillae); the segment of the second pair of maxillae, unlike other centipedes, does not bear limbs and is not part of the head, forming neck(lat. collum); the genital openings are paired and are located behind the second pair of walking legs; first instar larvae have only three pairs of legs (one per segment), further development comes with an increase in the number of segments that develop from a growth zone located behind the three segments of the larva.

• Progoneata:
  • Symphyla
  • Collifera:

Notes

Literature

• Kluge N. Y. (2000). Modern taxonomy of insects. Principles of taxonomy of living organisms and general system insects with the classification of primary wingless and ancient winged. SPb.: Publishing house "Lan". - 336 p.
• Kuznetsov N. Ya. (1951). "Class Centipedes (Myriopoda)" Guide to Zoology. T. 3, part 2. M.: Soviet science. pp. 124-166.
• Barnes, R. D. (1968). Invertebrate Zoology. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. 743 p.
• Animal life. Encyclopedia in six volumes. Volume 3. (volume dedicated to land arthropods). General edition by Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Professor L. A. Zenkevich. - Moscow: Education, 1969. - 576 p.

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Modern Arthropods, subphyla, superclasses and classes
Cheliceraceae ( Chelicerata)
Centipedes (Myriapoda)
Hexapods ( Hexapoda)
Crustaceans ( Crustacea)

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See what "Centipedes" are in other dictionaries:

- (Myriapoda), common name 4 classes of subphyla of tracheobreathers: labiopods, bipopods, symphylos and pauropods. Unlike insects, M.’s body consists of a head and a long, segmented, poorly differentiated (there is no true thoracic region) ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Modern encyclopedia

The general name for 4 classes of terrestrial arthropods: labiopods, bipopods, symphylos and pauropods. The body is long, segmented (the number of segments, or segments, from 11 in pauropods to 177 in some labiopods), almost all segments have 1 or 2 pairs... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Myriapoda) class of arthropods or arthropods (Arthropoda), trachea-breathing arthropods with a separate head and body, consisting of numerous, more or less identical segments, with one pair of antennae (antennae), three pairs... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

CENTIPEDES- CENTIPODES, Myriapoda, class of phylum Arthropoda (Arthropoda); the body consists of monotonous segments, each of which carries a pair or two pairs of dismembered legs; the head is well separated; it has a pair of throats and mouthparts consisting of... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia

Centipedes- MILLIPEDES, invertebrate animals such as arthropods. Length from 1 mm to 30 cm. Over 53 thousand species, widely distributed. The body consists of a significant number of segments (up to 177), almost each of which has 1 or 2 pairs of limbs (hence... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

CENTIPEDES- (Myriapoda) a class that unites terrestrial arthropods with a body clearly divided into only 2 sections a head and a more or less strongly elongated body, almost all of whose segments are equipped with limbs. For everyone... ...The life of insects

Mn. A class of arthropods that have many pairs of legs or legs; centipedes, many-legged. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary Russian language Efremova