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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]
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).
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.
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.
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 ).
Size-wise, centipedes are smaller and have slender bodies, while millipedes are longer and have plumper bodies. This also applies to their legs, with centipedes having longer legs than millipedes. 3.
House centipedes lay their eggs in spring. In a laboratory observation of 24 house centipedes, an average of 63 and a maximum of 151 eggs were laid. As with many other arthropods, the larvae look like miniature versions of the adult, albeit with fewer legs. Young centipedes have four pairs of legs when they are hatched.
An intriguing arthropod ancestor. The 3D scans revealed two nearly complete specimens of Arthropleura that lived 300 million years ago. Both fossilized animals still had most of their legs, and ...