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Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment, while millipedes have two. Their heads differ in that millipedes have short, elbowed antennae, a pair of robust mandibles and a single pair of maxillae fused into a lip; centipedes have long, threadlike antennae, a pair of small mandibles, two pairs of maxillae and a pair of large venom claws. [10]
Among myriapods, centipedes have strong, bristly mandibles, which have a row of teeth in all centipedes except for members of the order Geophilomorpha. Millipedes have small mandibles, their only functioning mouthparts, as the maxillae are fused to the lower lip ( labium ).
The name "Mandibulata" refers to the mandibles, a modified pair of limbs used in food processing, the presence of which are characteristic of most members of the group. The mandibulates are divided between the extant groups Myriapoda (millipedes & centipedes, among others) and Pancrustacea (including insects and crustaceans, among others).
The first mandibulates evolved in oceans during the Cambrian period (541 million to 485.4 million years ago) and include modern crustaceans, insects and myriapods, such as centipedes and millipedes.
In general, however, crustaceans possess paired mandibles with opposing biting and grinding surfaces. The mandibles are followed by paired first and second maxillae. Both the mandibles and the maxillae have been variously modified in different crustacean groups for filter feeding with the use of setae.
Centipedes in this family feature a short head, stout antennae, mandibles with a series of pectinate lamellae, a slightly concave labral margin with a row of denticles or bristles, uniarticulate telopodites on the first maxillae, and claws on the second maxillae fringed by two rows of filaments.
The stalked eyes - like a crab's - are striking because no living members of the group of arthropods that includes millipedes and centipedes - called myriapods - have this kind of eye.
House centipedes typically have 15 legs and can travel 1.3 feet-per-second, which explains why catching one of these centipedes in house is nearly impossible. The typical response to a house ...