Centipedes & Millipedes

All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.

Centipedes & Millipedes

Both centipedes and millipedes are classified in the sub-phylum myriapoda (meaning many-legged). Centipedes are predatory whilst millipedes are vegetarian! Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment whilst millipedes have two.There are around 53 UK centipede species, and a similar number of millipedes, though some are restricted to specialist habitats and a few invasive species are only found in heated greenhouses.

Click on the headings below to expand/contract the text.

Leicestershire and Rutland resources

The Millipedes of Leicestershire and Rutland - Jon Daws, Helen Ikin

Useful websites and publications

British Myriapod Recording Group - a useful portal to resources such as keys for millipedes, centipedes and woodlice.

Video - Introduction to UK Millipedes - excellent illustrated talk by Paul Richards (Tanyptera Project)

Atlas of the Millipedes (Diplopoda) of Britain and Ireland (Pensoft Series Faunistica) - useful information about the distribution of all UK species but not helpful for identification.

Key to the Identification of British Centipedes - an AIDGAP guide published by the Field Studies Council. An essential guide to a difficult group.

If you know of other websites or books that you would recommend, do let us know: info@naturespot.co.uk

Centipedes

There are 57 centipede species in Britain and 25 of these have been recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Dignathodontidae

Henia vesuviana

Scutigeridae

Scutigera coleoptrata
House Centipede

Geophilidae

Geophilus easoni
Eason's Geophilus
Geophilus flavus
Geophilus insculptus

female - specimen examined
Geophilus truncorum

specimen examined

Schendylidae

Schendyla nemorensis

Himantariidae

Stigmatogaster subterranea
Western Yellow Centipede

Lithobiidae

Linotaeniidae

Strigamia acuminata

specimen examined

Millipedes

Millipedes are often overlooked and it wasn't until the 20th century that the majority of UK species were identified. A total of 62 species have now been found living in Britain, a small number compared to most invertebrate groups. Some of these 62 species are only found in hothouses and have been introduced with imported plants and soil.

Centipedes & Millipedes