Myriapods
Guides
Brachypauropodidae
Brachypauropodidae is a family of minute myriapods in the order Tetramerocerata, containing 33 species across seven genera. Members are characterized by specific tergite and sternite arrangements, with most adults possessing nine pairs of legs—though two genera (Aletopauropus and Zygopauropus) have only eight pairs. The family exhibits a nearly worldwide distribution, occurring on all continents except South America and Antarctica.
Callipodida
Crested Millipedes
Callipodida is an order of millipedes comprising approximately 130 species across three extant suborders and seven families. Members are characterized by elongated bodies with 40–60 segments, reaching up to 100 mm in length, and often display distinctive dorsal crests or ridges. The order exhibits a disjunct distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, with populations in North America, Europe, western Asia, southern China, and Southeast Asia. Sexual maturity is achieved through teloanamorphosis, with males possessing a single pair of gonopods derived from the seventh leg pair.
Cambalidae
Cambalidae is a family of millipedes in the order Spirostreptida, comprising at least 20 genera and 80 described species. The family was established by Bollman in 1893. Members are classified within the superfamily Cambalidea and are part of the large Juliformia group of millipedes.
Cryptopidae
Bark Centipedes
Cryptopidae is a family of scolopendromorph centipedes characterized by complete absence of eyes (lacking ocelli) and possessing 21 pairs of legs as adults. The family is dominated by the genus Cryptops, which comprises over 150 species worldwide. Members are commonly known as bark centipedes and occur across diverse geographic regions, with some species showing strong synanthropic tendencies and human-mediated dispersal.
Desmonus
Desmonus is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Sphaeriodesmidae, first described by Cook in 1898. The genus contains approximately 10 described species distributed in the southeastern United States. Members of this genus belong to the order Polydesmida, characterized by their flattened body form and lateral extensions of the exoskeleton.
Henicopidae
Henicopidae is a family of stone centipedes comprising approximately 19 genera and at least 120 described species. Members of this family belong to the order Lithobiomorpha, a group characterized by elongated bodies with 15 pairs of legs in adults. The family exhibits broad geographic distribution, with records from Europe, North America, and Asia. Some species, such as Lamyctes coeculus, have achieved cosmopolitan distribution through anthropochorous dispersal facilitated by parthenogenetic reproduction.
Polypauropodidae
Polypauropodidae is a family of minute myriapods in the class Pauropoda, established by Remy in 1932. Pauropods are among the smallest soil-dwelling arthropods, rarely exceeding 2 mm in length. Members of this family are distinguished within Tetramerocerata by specific morphological features of the antennae and trunk segments. The family is poorly studied, with limited observational data and few described species.
Scolopendridae
Scolopendrid Centipedes
Scolopendridae is a family of large centipedes in the order Scolopendromorpha. Members are characterized by having 21 pairs of legs in most species, with rare exceptions showing 23, 39, or 43 leg pairs. The family includes notable amphibious species and exhibits considerable diversity in eye morphology, with most species possessing four ocelli per side but some being completely eyeless. Several species show sexual dimorphism in venom composition.
Scutigeromorpha
house centipedes, long-legged centipedes
Scutigeromorpha is an order of centipedes commonly known as house centipedes or long-legged centipedes. Adults possess 15 pairs of legs and compound eyes divided into ommatidia with crystalline cones. A unique diagnostic feature is the dorsal placement of spiracles along the midline of the back, distinguishing this order from all other centipedes and placing it in the subclass Notostigmophora. The order includes three families (Pselliodidae, Scutigeridae, Scutigerinidae) with 88 species across 27 genera. The Mediterranean species Scutigera coleoptrata has been introduced globally through human activity.
Xystodesmidae
Cherry Millipedes, flat-backed millipedes
Xystodesmidae is a family of flat-backed millipedes in the order Polydesmida, established by O. F. Cook in 1895. The family comprises over 390 described species across 62 genera, with many additional species remaining undescribed. Members are characterized by broad, compact bodies with prominent paranota (lateral keels), chemical defenses based on hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde, and frequent participation in Müllerian mimicry rings. Peak diversity occurs in the Appalachian Mountains, where approximately one-third of species are found.