soil centipede

arthropod

Also known as: Geophilida, Geophilomorpha

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July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Centipedes are long, flattened, many-segmented arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda. Each segment, except the last, has one pair of legs. They are predatory, moving quickly on 14 to 177 pairs of legs and possessing venomous claws behind their heads.1

Soil centipedes, also known as geophilomorphs, are a type of centipede that burrows in the soil. They are characterized by their extremely elongated bodies and more than 30 pairs of legs. These centipedes, along with other soil megafauna like earthworms, play a crucial role in soil turnover, improving its structure, aeration, and drainage.23

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skeleton
Skeletomusculature of arthropods
…sclerites of burrowing centipedes (Geophilomorpha) enable them to change their shape in an earthwormlike manner while preserving a complete armour of surface sclerites at all times. The marginal zones of the sclerites bear cones of sclerotization that are set in the flexible cuticle, thus permitting flexure in any direction…
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…sclerites of burrowing centipedes (Geophilomorpha) enable them to change their shape in an earthwormlike manner while preserving a complete armour of surface sclerites at all times. The marginal zones of the sclerites bear cones of sclerotization that are set in the flexible cuticle, thus permitting flexure in any direction…
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centipede
Soil centipedes (order Geophilomorpha) are burrowers that dig by alternately expanding and contracting the body, in the manner of earthworms. The order Scolopendrida, or Scolopendromorpha, of the tropics contains the largest centipedes, with Scolopendra gigantea of the American tropics reaching a length of 280 mm…
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Soil centipedes (order Geophilomorpha) are burrowers that dig by alternately expanding and contracting the body, in the manner of earthworms. The order Scolopendrida, or Scolopendromorpha, of the tropics contains the largest centipedes, with Scolopendra gigantea of the American tropics reaching a length of 280 mm…
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