Myriapods

By Urooj and Samah

Scientific classification

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Arthropoda

Subphylum:Myriapoda

Representatives of the four extant myriapod classes. Clockwise from top left: Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Symphyla, and
Pauropoda. Myriapoda is a subphylum of arthropods containing millipedes, centipedes, and others. The group contains
over 16,000 species, most of which are terrestrial.
Characteristics of Myriapods
Myriapods is an arthropod of a group that includes the centipedes, millipedes, and related animals. Myriapods have elongated
bodies with numerous leg-bearing segments.

The key characteristics of myriapods include:

● most species have many pairs of legs.

● two body sections (head and trunk)
● one pair of antennae on the head.
● simple eyes.
● respiratory exchange occurs through tracheal system

Myriapods are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy:

Animals> Invertebrates > Arthropods > Myriapods

 Anatomy of myriapods
Myriapods have a single pair of antennae and, in most cases, simple eyes. Exceptions include the large
and well-developed compound eyes of Scutigera. The mouthparts lie on the underside of the head, with
an "epistome" and labrum forming the upper lip, and a pair of maxillae forming the lower lip. A pair of
mandibles lie inside the mouth. Myriapods breathe through spiracles that connect to a tracheal system
similar to that of insects. There is a long tubular heart that extends through much of the body, but usually
few, if any, blood vessels.
 Types of myriapods
About 15,000 species of myriapods are alive today. As their name implies, myriapods (from the Greek
myriads, a myriad, plus photos, foot) are noted for having many legs, though the number varies widely
from species to species. Some species have fewer than a dozen legs, while others have many hundreds of
legs. TheIllacme pipes, a millipede that inhabits central California, is the current record holder for
myriapod leg count: This species has 750 legs and is the most known myriapod.
Examples of myriapods
● Centipedes
● Millipedes
● Symphyla
● Pauropoda
Where you can find Myriapods
Myriapods are mostly found in moist forests, where they fulfill an important role in breaking down decaying
plants, although a few live in grasslands, semi arid habitats or even deserts. A very small percentage of
species are littoral (found along the sea shore).The majority are detritivorous (get energy by eating
debris), with the exception of centipedes, which are chiefly nocturnal predators. A few species of
centipedes and millipedes are able to produce light and are therefore bioluminescent which leads to them
living in small nooks and caves.