Nature on our doorsteps: Centipede predators

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into the natural heritage around us and the beautiful biodiversity of the plants and creatures.

CENTIPEDES belong to the largest and most successful grouping of animals in the world, the Arthropods.

This important grouping also includes insects, millipedes, spiders, crabs and lobsters.

All these creatures have jointed legs, and their bodies are made up of different segments.

There are about 3,500 species of Centipedes worldwide, and they are present on every continent on the planet, except Antarctica.

They are a very ancient group of creatures, and they were one of the earliest predators to evolve that used venom to catch their prey.

They feed on worms, slugs, snails, spiders, and other small Arthropods.

Millipedes are related to Centipedes, but they have two pairs of legs in each body segment

The Centipede’s body is low and flat, with one pair of jointed legs attached to each individual segment of its body.

Each pair of legs towards the end of the body is slightly longer than the pair in the segment in front of it.

The final pair of legs at the very end of its body is therefore often twice as long as the pair that is closest to the head.

The Centipede locates its prey using a pair of long antennae located on its flat, circular head.

It then uses highly specialised claws located in the first body segment behind the head to catch its prey.

These claws are in fact modified legs.

Millions of years ago, the first pair of legs behind its head evolved to curve forward and inwards, towards the Centipede’s chewing mouthparts.

The tip of each claw has a very sharp point, which delivers venom into its prey from a special venom gland which paralyses the prey.

It is thought that enzymes in the venom also begin the digestion process, preparing the food before the Centipede starts to chew it up.

Centipedes can also nip us if they are handled roughly.

While its venom is usually harmless, the nip can be painful for a few minutes.

It is better therefore to allow this predator on its way, to seek out prey its own size.