Arthropoda: Class Chilopoda

Class Chilopoda includes the 5,000 species of centipedes, all of which are terrestrial. Centipedes are carnivorous and predacious, immobilizing their prey, usually consisting of smaller arthropods, with the aid of their fangs. The body is composed of a head region bearing a pair of antennae, a pair of mandibles, and two pairs of maxillae, and a trunk region with one pair of legs on each segment. The anterior pair of trunk appendages (prehensors) is equipped with poison glands. Juveniles may have fewer appendages than adults or may hatch with adult segmentation; new segments are added during developmental molts. Chilopods are found throughout the globe in tropical as well as temperate climates.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Class Insecta
• Class Symphyla
• Class Pauropoda
• Class Diplopoda
• Class Chilopoda
• Subphylum Crustacea
• Mandibulata
• Subphylum Chelicerata
• Subphylum Trilobitomorpha
• Bibliography

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