Page 91 - A Field Guide to Fairfax County's Plants and Wildlife
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MYRIAPODS
The myriapods consist of the millipedes, centipedes and a few other
smaller relatives. They are all terrestrial and have one pair of antenna
and many more legs than insects (myriapod is Latin for “many feet”).
Centipedes and millipedes need a moist environment to survive and are
normally found on or below the ground.
Centipedes
(Chilopoda)
Description
Centipedes (meaning “hundreds
of feet” in Latin) are elongated,
somewhat flattened animals that have
one pair of legs per body segment.
They always have an odd number of
pairs of legs. They are reddish-brown
in color. Centipedes breathe through
tiny holes called spiracles located on
the sides of their body.
Distribution and Habitat
Centipedes can live in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands and
deserts, as long as they have a moist environment directly around them. They
are found in all five physiographic provinces.
Role in Food Web
Centipedes are fast, predatory animals which feed mostly at night. They have
a venomous bite and will eat just about anything they can catch. Predators
include mice, salamanders, beetles and snakes.
r 87 r
The myriapods consist of the millipedes, centipedes and a few other
smaller relatives. They are all terrestrial and have one pair of antenna
and many more legs than insects (myriapod is Latin for “many feet”).
Centipedes and millipedes need a moist environment to survive and are
normally found on or below the ground.
Centipedes
(Chilopoda)
Description
Centipedes (meaning “hundreds
of feet” in Latin) are elongated,
somewhat flattened animals that have
one pair of legs per body segment.
They always have an odd number of
pairs of legs. They are reddish-brown
in color. Centipedes breathe through
tiny holes called spiracles located on
the sides of their body.
Distribution and Habitat
Centipedes can live in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands and
deserts, as long as they have a moist environment directly around them. They
are found in all five physiographic provinces.
Role in Food Web
Centipedes are fast, predatory animals which feed mostly at night. They have
a venomous bite and will eat just about anything they can catch. Predators
include mice, salamanders, beetles and snakes.
r 87 r
