Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are fast-moving, venomous, predatory terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs. Chiefly nocturnal, centipedes are found primarily in tropical climates. Like the closely-related millipedes, they are highly segmented (15 to 173 segments), with one pair of walking legs per segment. Centipedes are dorso-ventrally flattened, and are among the fastest and most agile of arthropod predators.
Note that claw arises from the first thoracic segment
The head of a centipede has a pair of antennae and jaw-like mandibles and other mouthparts that evolved from modified appendages. The most anterior trunk segment of a centipede has a pair of poison claws (called maxillipeds) that are used for both defense and for capturing and paralyzing prey.
Adding mitochondrial sequence data (16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) to the phylogeny of centipedes (Myriapoda: Chilopoda): an analysis of morphology and four molecular loci.
Phylogeny of Henicopidae (Chilopoda : Lithobiomorpha): a combined analysis of morphology and five molecular loci.
Mundel, P. The centipedes (Chilopoda) of the Mazon Creek.
The resemblance between the Chilopoda and the Diplopoda is principally superficial and due to the elongation and vermiform shape of the body, which in both is composed of a number of similar or subsimilar somites not differentiated as are those of Insecta, existing Arachnida and most Crustacea, into series or "tagmata" of varying function.
As a matter of fact, in the Chilopoda they are situated on the penultimate or pretelsonic somite; in the Hexapoda upon the antepenultimate somite (male) or a little farther forward (female).
Chilopoda with fifteen pairs of leg-bearing somites differentiated into larger and smaller, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, loth, 12th and 14th being large, the others small.
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