omg ok so i was trying to look up how to sex a centipede and one of the first results was an obviously ai-generated article with these absolutely incredible images of “centipedes” lmao. they are so hilariously bad i just had to share
the most wonderfully calm and polite allothereua maculata i have ever met. usually they're incredibly scrambly and run around in an understandable panic but this guy was chilling in a crevice in some fallen bark. wonderful.
Chilopoda. This class is made up of centipedes, elongated many-legged predators. They lack a waxy cuticle present in insects and arachnids, and so avoid sunlight to prevent drying out.
Diplopoda. This class is made up of millipedes, elongated many-legged detritivores which feed on dead plant matter, though some species eat fungi or drink plant fluid.
here is a Scolopendra mutilans lapping up mango juice from a spoon
while giant centipedes are mostly predators that feed on insects and small vertebrates, they may occasionally enjoy a sweet fruit treat! several species have been seen eating fruit in the wild, and pet centipedes seem to enjoy it now and then.
found another Lithobius today that contrasts nicely with the one from the other day. very little red outside of the legs and antennae, almost completely black. beautiful little thing, though
bonus bristletail i found under the same rock, not what i was looking for but a welcome sight because they're some of my favorite insects. couldn't begin to guess what genus this one is, though
Young house centipedes are born with four pairs of legs (eight legs total) and with subsequent molts will gain new legs until they eventually reach 15 pairs of legs (thirty legs total). Isn’t that wild? At the time they reach 15 pairs of legs they are considered an adolescent and will go through four more molts before they become an adult. Females can survive for several years. They are nocturnal and feed on a wide variety of insects.
They are originally native to the Mediterranean but were accidentally introduced into the southern United States.