﻿366 POMONA COLLEGE JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY 



the prosternuni, whicii, together with the feet proper, extends forward Ijeiieath 

 the head. Eyes either absent or present ; when present consisting of a single 

 or of several to numerous simple ocelli, these rarely agglomerated or pseudo- 

 tacetted. Antennte mostly long and thread-like or cylindrical, rarely club- 

 shaped or flattened, composed of 14 (rarely 12 or 13) or more segments. 

 The length of the antennje like that of the legs, is mostly inver.sely propor- 

 tionate to that of the body. The head bears one pair of mandibles and two 

 pair of maxillje, of which maxillse the second constitute a labium comparable 

 to that of insects. Stigmata always or nearly always with a closing apparatus. 

 Tracheal system presenting anastomoses excepting in Scutigera. Genital duct 

 unpaired, opening on the preanal segment. Anal segment enclosed in three 

 sclerites, one dorsal and two pleuro-ventral. 



Most chilopods are very sensitive to conditions of moisture; and as a 

 result in regions like California, many forms burrow into the ground during 

 the dry season and are to be secured only by digging down in suitable places 

 until dam]) earth is reached. They abound both in inter-tropical and in tem- 

 perate regions, while fewer forms exist even in sub-artic and artic territory. 



Key to the Orders of ChUopoda. 

 a. Tracheae opening through seven unpaired spiracles arranged along the 

 median dorsal line ; antennae very long and many jointed ; legs likewise 

 extremely long, the tarsi composed of many segments ; agglomerated or 

 falsely facetted. Order Schizotarsia. 



aa. Tracheae opening through paired spiracles situated in the pleural region 

 between tergite and coxre of a variable number of the body segments ; 

 antennae and legs moderate or short : ocelli of eyes not agglomerated or 

 falsely facetted, 

 b. Trunk with fifteen leg-bearing segments among which the tergites 

 of the 2nd, 4th. 9th, 11th and 13th are shortened or reduced ; young 

 born with seven pairs of legs, subsequently acquiring the full num- 

 ber through several distinct steps or stages. Order Anamorpha. 

 bb. Trunk with twenty-one or more leg-bearing segments among which 

 the tergites of none are relatively reduced or shortened ; yotuig 

 hatched with the full number of legs. Order Epimorpha. 



Order schizotarsi.\. 

 This order includes the single family Scutigeridae of which one genus. 

 Scutiger, is known to occur in the United States. 



Genus Scutigera Lamarck. 

 Of this genus the following species occurs in California. Most of its 

 relatives are tropical or subtropical. 



Scutigera forceps ( Rafinesque. ) 



This form is very common in the southeastern states where it has long 



been known. It is widely called the house-centipede because of its frequenting 



houses and outbuildings where it lives upon flies and other insects which it 



{■ajitures with its long, lash-likc tarsi. In buildings kept continuously warm 



