CHILOPODA 



477 



Family 4. SCUTIGERIDAE. 



Body relatively short, consisting of about 15 segments, the dorsal 

 surface of which is covered by 8 large plates; 15 ven- 

 tral plates and 15 pairs of veiy long legs, the last pair 

 being longer than the body and used as anal feelers; 

 antennae and maxillary palps very long; eyes large 

 and composite; spiracles a row of 7 mid-dorsal slits; 

 young born with 7 pairs of legs: 13 genera and 30 

 species, 2 being American, which are found in damp 

 places in houses, especially in cellars, where they feed 

 on cockroaches and other insects. 



ScUTiGERA Lamarck. With the characters above 



given. 



S. forceps (Rafinesque) (Fig. 739). Body about 

 25 mm. long, light brown in color, with 3 longitudinal 

 dark stripes; last pair of legs 50 mm. long: w^estern 

 and central states, very common towards the south; in New England 

 as far north as Boston. 



Fig. 729 — Scuti- 



gem forceps 



(Wood). 



