CHAPTER V 



LITHOBIUS AND ITS ALLIES 



LITHOBIUS is a representative of the group Myriapoda, 1 

 which are air-breathing, wingless Arthropods, closely allied 

 to insects. 2 In the body only two regions, head and trunk, 

 can be distinguished ; the head bears one pair of antennae, 

 a pair of jaws, and one or two pairs of maxillae. Every 

 segment bears legs. Myriapods differ from insects, then, in 

 that they have no legless abdomen. 



Myriapods fall into two principal groups, Chilopoda 3 

 and Diplopoda. 4 



The chilopods, or centipedes, to which group Lithobius 

 belongs, are active and ferocious rnyriapods. They are 

 especially abundant in tropical countries, but thrive also in 

 elevated, cold situations, and at least one species inhabits 

 the caves of North America. All are terrestrial, and live 

 in damp and dark places, especially under stones and 

 bark, within or under decaying wood, among barn-yard 

 refuse, in loose soil, and under fallen leaves. Chilopods 

 feed upon living insects, mollusks, and worms, and may be 

 useful to agriculture through the destruction of injurious 



s, very many ; TTO^S, foot. 



2 Keys to the principal families of the Myriapoda, and to the commoner 

 species of Lithobius, will be found at the end of the Chapter, page 78. 



3 More correctly Cheilopoda, from ^el\o<s^ lip, and TTO^S, foot ; because 

 the mouth parts (modified feet) are partially united to form a sort of lip. 



4 SnrXoCs, double ; Trotfs, foot ; having two pairs of feet to the segment. 



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