Key to centipede species
As of 25 September 2013, I no longer maintain this website. For taxonomic and distribution information about Tasmania's millipedes, go to Millipedes of Australia. Send me an email if you have technical queries about other groups, but please note that the information here is likely to be out of date.
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1a. 15 pairs of very long, thin legs; 7 tergites (plates on back)
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1b. 15 pairs of legs, 15 tergites
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1c. 15 pairs of legs, 21 tergites
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1d. 21 pairs of legs
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1e. 29 or more pairs of legs
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2a. 3 or more eyes on each side of head; large spines on all legs (see drawing at right)
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3a. Adult at least 20 mm long; 15-18 eyes on each side of head
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3b. Adult 10 mm long or less; 3 eyes in row on each side of head
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A centipede leg (right). Segment names: Co = coxa, Tr = trochanter, Pr = prefemur, Fe = femur, Ti = tibia, Ta = tarsus, Tc = tarsal claw |
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4a. No eyes, orange body colour; very large spine on leg 14 prefemur, leg 15 coxa and prefemur; coxal pores on legs 14 and 15 only (see drawing at right)
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5a. 2+2 teeth on front edge of coxosternite (see image at right); adult 12 mm long or less
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6a. Brown or reddish; 1 eye on each side of head; usually 25 segments on each antenna
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7a. 3+3 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of legs 1-12 in 3 parts, of leg 15 in 6-7 parts; 37-44 segments on each antenna
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7b. 4+4 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of all legs in 2 parts; 25-28 segments on each antenna
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7c. 8+8 or 9+9 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of legs 1-12 not divided, of legs 13 to 15 in 2 parts; 19-24 segments on each antenna
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8a. Adult to 60 mm long; blue or greenish colour; 4 eyes
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8b. Adult 30 mm long or less; yellow or brown colour; no eyes
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9a. Last leg prefemur with groove free of setae (see image at right)
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10a. Antennae club-shaped
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10b. Antennae tapering
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11a. Cephalic plate (yellow in drawing at right) at least 1.5 times as long as wide; up to 41 leg-pairs
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11b. Cephalic plate about as wide as long or slightly longer; 41 or more leg-pairs (rarely 39)
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12a. Last sternite (yellow in drawing at right) wider than long, normally only 2 pores visible on each last leg coxopleuron; coastal areas only
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12b. Last sternite about as wide as long, 6-10 large pores in 2 close rows on each last leg coxopleuron; gardens only
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12c. Last sternite as long as wide or longer, numerous pores on all surfaces of last leg coxopleuron; all natural habitats and some gardens
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12a key drawing after Jones (1998)























