19 Myriapoda Examples & Types: Facts That You Should Know!

Myriapoda or Myriapedes are a group of arthropods. There are more than 13,000 species classified under this subphylum. Let us know more about Myriapoda examples and types.

Some most common Myriapoda examples are- 

  • Alipes grandidieri 
  • Lithobius forficatus
  • Pachymerium ferrugineum
  • Scolopendra galapagoensis
  • Scutigera coleoptrata
  • Scolopendra subspinipes
  • Lophoturus
  • Macroxenodes
  • Monoxenus bispinosus
  • Monoxenus nigrofasciaticollis
  • Phryssonotus
  • Schindalmonotus
  • Millotauropus
  • Zygopauropus
  • Eurypauropus
  • Thaumatopauropus
  • Acopauropus
  • Scutigerella immaculata
  • Scolopendrella

Alipes grandidieri

Alipes grandidieri is a centipede Myriapoda belonging to the family Scolopendridae. It is mostly found in the Eastern African regions. Their body contains more than 15 segments, most of them bear 1 pair of legs. The back legs look like feathers hence known as feather-tail centipede.

Lithobius forficatus

Lithobius forficatus is one of the most common centipedes Myriapoda which belongs to the family Lithobiidae. It has a chestnut brown body colour hence known as brown centipede. Lithobius are predatory in nature, having specially adapted front legs containing venom. They mostly feed on insects including spiders, flies, etc. 

Pachymerium ferrugineum

Pachymerium ferrugineum is one of the most widespread Chilopoda species, typically belonging to the family Geophilidae. The species is terrestrial mostly found in White Sea seashore. Pachymerium ferrugineum has 43-45 pairs of legs and bears numerous small pores all over its reddish orange body. 

Scolopendra galapagoensis

Scolopendra galapagoensis is one of the most common centipede Myriapoda species belonging to the family Scolopendridae. They are native to the Galapagos islands and known as the famous Darwin’s goliath centipede. They exhibit three different interspecies colour morphs such as dark morph, orange morph, etc.

Scutigera coleoptrata

Scutigera coleoptrata or the house centipede is one of the most common Myriapoda species distributed worldwide. They are insectivorous in nature and feed on spiders, termites, ants, cockroaches, etc. They have well-developed faceted eyes, which are highly sensitive to ultraviolet light. 

Scolopendra subspinipes

Scolopendra subspinipes is one of the most common Chilopoda Myriapede species belonging to the family Scolopendridae. They show colour variations in their body such as a red or reddish brown body with yellow or orange legs. They are predatory and highly venomous and can cause the death of a human also. 

Lophoturus

Lophoturus is one of the most common millipede Myriapoda genus, having more than 27 species under it. They belong to the family Lophoproctidae. Most have a soft body, bearing bristles at the end of each body segment. The two most common species under this genus are Lophoturus aequatus and Lophoturus madecassus. 

Macroxenodes bartschi

Macroxenodes bartschi is another most common example of millipede Myriapoda. The macroxenodes bartschi species typically belongs to the family Polyxenidae. They are native to the North American regions. 

Monoxenus bispinosus

Monoxenus bispinosus is one of the most common millipede Myriapoda examples, typically belonging to the beetle family Cerambycidae. The Monoxenus bispinosus species was first described by Karl Jordan in 1894, hence also known as Apomempsis bispinosa Jordan. 

Monoxenus nigrofasciaticollis

Monoxenus nigrofasciaticollis is also one of the most common millipede Myriapoda species belonging to the beetle family Cerambycidae. Monoxenus nigrofasciaticollis is native to the eastern African regions. They are herbivorous in nature and feed on Juniperus procera

Phryssonotus sp.

Phryssonotus sp. is one of the millepede Myriapoda species examples belonging to the family Synxenidae. They have a distinct type of dark, scale-shaped bristles on dorsal tergites. Phryssonotus sp. are mostly found in South African regions. 

Schindalmonotus hystrix

Schindalmonotus hystrix is one of the most common examples of millipede Myriapoda species, typically belonging to the family Synxenidae. They have 17 pairs of legs and many bristles on their body. Mostly found in the South Africa and Mozambique regions.

Millotauropus

Millotauropus is one of the most common Pauropoda Myriapode genus names belonging to the family Millotauropodidae. It is native to Brazil, continental Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles regions. It has a white coloured 12-segmented body, 6-segmented antenna and 11 pairs of legs. 

Zygopauropus

Zygopauropus is a very common Pauropoda Myriapode genus, typically belonging to the family Brachypauropodidae. It has a 12 segmented body, 4 segmented antennae and 9 pairs of legs in an adult. They have white or brown coloured bodies generally about 0.5 mm to 2 mm long in length.

Eurypauropus

Eurypauropus is one of the most common genus under class Pauropoda and subphylum Myriapoda. It typically belongs to the family Eurypauropodidae. The body is less than 1 millimetre in length having an outer cover to protect them.

Thaumatopauropus

Thaumatopauropus is one of the most important genus class Pauropoda and subphylum Myriapoda. It typically belongs to the family Eurypauropodidae. It has a scale-like cover outside its body to protect them.

Acopauropus

Acopauropus is also one of the most common genera under class Pauropoda and subphylum Myriapoda. It also typically belongs to the family Eurypauropodidae. It has a sclerotised cover outside the body.

Scutigerella immaculata

Scutigerella immaculata is one of the most common species under class Symphyla and subphylum Myriapoda. It typically belongs to the family Scutigerellidae. It is mostly fed on plant roots and detritus hence commonly known as the garden symphylan or glasshouse symphylid

Scolopendrella

The Scolopendrella is also one of the most common genera under class symphyla and subphylum Myriapoda. It typically belongs to the family Scolopendrellidae. 

Myriapoda types

Myriapoda subphylum is divided into several classes and subclasses. Each of them have some distinct characters in them. 

The subphylum Myriapoda is divided into four different classes such as-

  • Chilopoda
  • Diplopoda
  • Pauropoda
  • Symphyla

Let us have a closer look at all the four different classes of subphylum Myriapoda.

Chilopoda

Chilopoda is the first class under the subphylum Myriapoda. The class chilopoda contains nearly 8,000 species under this. Some most common Myriapoda examples under class Chilopoda are- Alipes grandidieri, Lithobius forficatus, Pachymerium ferrugineum, Scolopendra galapagoensis, Scutigera coleoptrata, etc.

Myriapoda examples
Examples of Chilopoda from Wikimedia commons

Diplopoda

Diplopoda is the second class under the subphylum Myriapoda. The class diplopoda contains more than 12,000 millipede species under this. Some most common Myriapoda examples under class Diplopoda are Lophoturus, Macroxenodes, Monoxenus bispinosus, Monoxenus nigrofasciaticollis, Phryssonotus, Schindalmonotus, etc.

Pauropoda

Pauropoda is the third class under the subphylum Myriapoda. The class pauropoda contains approximately 830 species under this. Some most common Myriapoda examples under class Pauropoda are-Millotauropus, Zygopauropus, Eurypauropus, Thaumatopauropus, Acopauropus, etc.

Symphyla

Symphyla is the fourth class under the subphylum Myriapoda. The class Symphyla contains more than 200 species worldwide under this. Some most common Myriapoda examples under class Symphyla are- Scutigerella immaculata, Scolopendrella, etc. 

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Examples of Symphyla from Wikimedia commons

Conclusion 

Here we discuss Myriapoda types and examples one by one and also state their characteristics briefly. Hope our article on Myriapoda examples and types will be helpful to you.  

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