CENTIPEDES and MILLIPEDES
ISSN-1059-6518
CENTIPEDES and MILLIPEDES
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
This is a short article to compare and contrast Centipedes and Millipedes. Centipedes are venomous and can cause a painful bite, while Millipedes have no venom and pose no danger to humans.
Centipedes: Millipedes:
KINGDOM Animalia Animalia
PHYLUM Arthropoda Arthropoda
SUBPHYLUM Myriapoda Myriapoda
CLASS Chilipoda Diplopoda
CENTIPEDES:
These are not Arachnids; they are Chilipoda.
They are predatory – eat insects, worms, and millipedes.
They have a pair of legs for each segment, 20 to over 300 pairs.
They have a pair of venom claws on the front segment, and they do produce venom used to killed and subdue their prey.
Size: 4mm (1/4”) to 30cm (12”).
8000 species of centipedes.
They have a venomous sting that is painful but not dangerous.
The only danger is the risk of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
