Centipede and millipede pictures and facts12/30/2023 ![]() Centipedes have only one pair of legs per body segment ( Figure 2) and the legs are usually longer than those on millipedes. Some people confuse millipedes with centipedes, which look somewhat similar. They crawl slowly and protect themselves by secreting cyanide-like compound that has an unpleasant odor. When disturbed, millipedes often curl up into a "C" shape and remain motionless. Although millipedes are often called "thousandleggers," they actually have far fewer legs, but each body segment has two pairs of very short legs. The most common species that invades buildings is the" garden millipede," which is brownish-black in color and about one inch long ( Figure 1). While millipedes sometimes enter in large numbers, they do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases, nor do they infest food, clothing or dry, structurally sound wood. The secondary defense system of the millipedes involves them releasing a foul-smelling secretion through the ozopores which can burn, irritate, or discolor the skin temporarily.Millipedes are common occasional pests that sometimes invade buildings particularly when the weather turns hot and dry. Since they are slow-moving creatures, a majority of them defend themselves by curling and protecting their delicate legs inside their exoskeleton. Millipedes are non-venomous arthropods which are harmless to human beings. They are essential creatures when it comes to the soil nutrient cycle and microbial decomposition.Ĭentipedes attack their prey using their venomous-modified front legs known as maxillipeds. Millipedes feed on decaying vegetation, a mixture of organic matter and soil, and the leaves and roots of seedlings. These arthropods have diverse diets with millipedes being detritivores while centipedes are carnivores. The last legs of a centipede are usually longer than the others. The body of a centipede is divided into a head and twenty-one segmented trunk. The centipede’s head has a pair of tapering antennae, mouthparts, and two groups of simple and small ocelli. ![]() Millipedes have a cylindrical body which is divided into abdomen, thorax, and head. The head of a millipede has a couple of club-shaped short antennae, ocelli, maxillae and its mouthparts. The legs of a centipede are attached to its sides, and they are longer than the millipede’s legs. The Amazonian giant centipede (Scolopendra gigantea) is the biggest centipede in the world with a maximum body length of about 12 inches (30 cm). Centipedes have a pair of legs per segment, and their legs range from 30 to 354. The legs of millipedes range from 34 to 400.Ī centipede has a flat brownish body which is divided into multiple segments. The first segment of a millipede is legless the second to the fourth segments have two legs while the remaining ones have four legs each. Millipedes have cylindrical or slightly flattened multi-segmented brown or black bodies whose length ranges from half an inch to some few inches. Millipedes and centipedes are arthropods with many jointed legs and segments. ![]() Differences Between Millipedes and Centipedes 1) Shape, size, and number of legs They both prefer moist dump places like under stones, rotting leaves, and logs. These arthropods don’t have direct copulatory organs. Millipedes and centipedes have segmented bodies, and they breathe through the spiracles. Even though the names suggest they have myriads legs, the number of legs on these arthropods ranges from ten to 750. Millipedes and centipedes are terrestrial arthropods belonging to the subphylum Myriapoda.
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