Scolopendra is the common centipede. Nocturnal, predatory carnivore, found in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Commonly lives in soil and beneath stones bark and logs in moist and damp areas and human dwellings. Scolopendra gigantica is the largest of all living centipedes (grows up to a length of 30cm).

1. Scolopendra
Phylum-Arthropoda
Sub phylum-Uniramia
Class-Chilopoda

2. Scolopendra gigantica

3. General characters
• Scolopendra is the common centipede.
• Nocturnal, predatory carnivore, found in tropical
and sub-tropical countries.
• Commonly lives in soil and beneath stones bark and
logs in moist and damp areas and human dwellings.
• Scolopendra gigantica is the largest of all living
centipedes (grows up to a length of 30cm).

4. Features
• Body is long,flat and divisible into head and trunk.
• Chitinous exoskeleton is soft and flexible, with very
low calcium content.
• Head is covered dorsally by a cephalic shield.
• In the trunk each segment has a dorsal tergum and
a ventral sternum, connected together by pleuron
on each side.

5. A taxonomic review

6. Mouth region
• Head bears the mouth, a
small labrrum,paired
antennae, mandibles
and first and second
maxillae, the
hypopharynx and groups
of ocelli.Mandibles bear
large teeth and a thick
fringe of setae.
• Second maxillae are
short,heavy and palp
like.

7. • Trunk is many segmented.No differentiation into
thorax and abdomen.
• With the exception of the two last segments, each
trunk segment bears a pair of walking legs.The first
pair of legs are called maxillipeds,since they are
involved in feeding.They are 4 segmented and are
modified as poison claws.
• Poison glands open at their tip.Each claw has a
terminal pointed fang.The remaining legs are 7
segmented and serve as walking legs.The last pair
of legs are larger than the others.They are not
locomotor but are sensory, defensive,and offensive
organs.

8. • Behind these legs,there are two legless
segments,known respectively as the pre-genital
segments.Genital segment bears the gonopore and
the anus.
• Scolopendra usually feeds on insects and their
larvae,spiders,annelid worms,soil
nematodes,slugs,etc.The prey is captured by the
maxillipeds,and then paralysed by injecting
venom.The venom is painful,but not seriously toxic
or lethal to man.

10. Organ systems
• Vascular system consists of a dorsal, tubular and
chambered heart.Each chamber has a pair of lateral
ostia.
• Respiratory organs are tracheae, opening out by non-
valvular and permanently open spiracles.With the
exception of a few segments, each segment has a pair
of spiracles.
• Excretory organs are malphigian tubules connected
to the hind gut.Nitrogenous waste is mostly
ammonia, rather than uric acid.

11. • Sexes are separate.Female has unpaired ovary,
oviduct and gonopore.But,male has several testes,
connected to a single vas deferens that opens out
by a single gonopore.
• Fertilization is external.
• In some species of centipedes, female broods the
eggs in clusters and guards the young ones until
they disperse.

12. Thank you
Submitted by
Ashwini P S
1st Bsc Zoology
Govt college Kasaragod