Centipede and Millipede - 2 Specimens Embedded in Plastic

Centipede and Millipede – Two Specimens Embedded in Plastic

In a transparent block of plastic, two natural specimens are embedded — representatives of invertebrate animals of the class Myriapoda: 1 – centipede; 2 – millipede (diplopod).

The block is wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a closed cardboard box. The dimensions of the teaching aid are: 14 x 6.5 x 2 cm.

What you should know

What distinguishes — and often confused — the two representatives of the myriapod class: centipedes and millipedes? Centipedes have on most segments two pairs of legs (these are the so-called diplosegments), and millipedes have one pair of legs on each segment. In addition, centipedes have the ability to coil into a ball when threatened and are herbivores, while millipedes are predators, with the first-segment mouthparts transformed into fanglike appendages used to inject venom into prey to immobilize or kill it. The legs of centipedes are longer than those of millipedes and move faster to effectively catch prey. They also differ in the length of their antennae — centipedes have longer antennae. An additional feature is the telson — the characteristic transformation of the last body segment in centipedes.