| Key to the list at the end of each section: | |
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Black - Bio Blitz 2015 not photographed |
Blue - Bio Blitz 2015 photographed |
Red - photographed & identified by Volunteers |
Green - from NatureSpot |
All pictures are taken on the reserve. |
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Hover over the following pictures to enlarge |
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Centipedes & Millipedes
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Centipedes are a type of myriapod with many legs and are predators. They hunt during the night; they are nocturnal. Some centipedes are venomous, but none can kill a person unless they are allergic. They are in the class Chilopoda, and related to millipedes, which are not poisonous. They have between 5 and 173 segments, but only one pair of legs per segment. There may be 8,000 species in the world. |
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Brown Centipede - Lithobius forficatus John F 23rd March 2021 Like most lithobiids, it is found in the upper layers of soil, particularly under rocks and rotting logs. This species can be fairly easily identified by its reaction to being revealed, which is to run extremely quickly for cover. This is different from many of the other species of large lithobiid, which tend to be less extreme in their evasion behavior. It is a predator, and its main diet consists of insects and invertebrates, including Spiders, slugs, worms and flies. It has specially-adapted front legs which have evolved to resemble 'fangs' and they contain venom that allows the centipede to overpower its prey. |
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Centipede - Lithobius melanops John F 23rd March 2021 This is the common small Lithobius (to 17 mm) with projections on tergites 9, 11 &13. It is usually pale brown in colour, with an indistinct darker longitudinal dorsal stripe. |
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Flat-backed Millipede - Polydesmus angustus John F 23rd March 2021 This Millipede has a long, flat, segmented body with a large number of legs. It is orangey-brown in colour and measures around 2cm in length. |
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Millipede - Geophilus truncorum John F 23rd March 2021 A small orangish-brown species (to 20 mm) with just 37-43 leg pairs and distinct carpophagus fossae on the anterior sternites. It is superficially similar to Schendyla nemorensis, but this latter species lacks carpophagus fossae and claws on its last legs. |
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Millipede - Polydesmus angustus John F 23rd March 2021 This Flat-Backed Millipede is a long, flat, arthropod. Although they appear similar to a predatory centipede, these feed mainly on mildew and decaying vegetation. For this reason, they're great contributions for the compost heap, helping to break down plant matter at a faster rate. You may also find them hiding under rocks and tree bark during the day time. |
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White-legged Snake Millipede - Tachypodoiulus niger John F 2nd April 2021 This millipede has a shiny black, long, cylindrical body and contrasting white legs. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment of their body, whereas similar centipedes have one. The White-legged snake millipede has about 100 legs. There are many millipede species in the UK, which can be difficult to tell apart. |
| Bio Blitz ------ 26-06-2015 blue & black Brown Centipede - Lithobius forficatus Centipede - Lithobius melanops Flat-backed Millipede - Polydesmus angustus Millipede - Geophilus truncorum |