LITHOBIUS AND ITS ALLIES 



75 



insects. Lithobius has been observed to spend hours in 

 killing an earthworm, whose juices it sucked as food. 

 Blue-bottle flies also serve it as food while in confinement. 



Lithobius 1 is of world-wide 



distribution, and 



over one hun : 



dred species are 



recognized. Our 



common straw- 

 colored, eastern 



species, Litho- 

 bius forficatus? 



is found also in 



South America, 



as well as over 



most of Europe. 



It seems to be 



replaced south 



of Virginia by 



another species, 



spinipes. 



Scutigera 3 is 



easily distin- 

 guished by its 



. J . FIG. 74. Scolo- 

 long legs ; its pendra. Nat. 



FIG. 73. Scutigera. Nat. size 

 From Wood. 



111- 



size. From 

 Leunis. 



lii nd legs, 



deed, are longer 

 than its trunk. 4 Our common Eastern species (rare north 

 of New York City) is about 25 centimetres long, and is 

 of a light brown color, with stripes on the back. It is 



1 \t0os, stone ; ^3i6w, to live. 



3 scutum, shield ; gerere, to bear. 



2 Provided with shears, forfex. 

 4 Fig. 73. 



