Subphylum Myriapoda

Class Diplopoda (millipedes)

-Were one of the first land animals

-Have two tagmata (Head and Trunk)

-Trunks have between 11 and 100 segments

-Each segment has two pairs of legs (diplopoda)

-Are detritovors eating detritus leaf matter

-Expel hydrogen cyanide from glands on their body

-Transfer sperm to the female using modified legs called gonopods

The African giant millipede is the largest of the millipedes

Class Chilopoda (Centipedes)

-Most are nocturnal

-Bodies are flattened

-Have a single pair of legs per trunk segment

-Usually have 15 or more trunk segments

-Centipedes are fast moving predators

-The first trunk appendages (maxillipeds) are modified for hunting and inject venom

-Most centipede venom is harmless to humans but there are some large species that feel like bee stings

-There has been a few human deaths from the venom but it is very rare

-The last two legs are modified into sensory appendages

-The male will court the female and then lay a spermatophore in a web

-The female will then pick up the spermatophore and use the sperm to fertilize her eggs as she lays them

-The young are the same as the adults just with fewer segments

Centipede feeding video