ArthropodPhylum of invertebrates with jointed exoskeletonsArthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylumArthropoda. They possess an exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (metameric) segments, and paired jointed appendages. In order to keep growing, they must go through stages of moulting, a process by which they shed their exoskeleton to reveal a new one.
MyriapodaMyriapods (from Ancient Greek (muríos)'countless' and (poús)'foot') are the members of subphylumMyriapoda, containing arthropods such as millipedes and centipedes. The group contains about 13,000 species, all of them terrestrial. Molecular evidence and similar fossils suggests a diversification in the Cambrian Period, and trace fossils indicate that myriapods inhabited the land by the Ordovician Period. The Stem-myriapod mandibulate Waukartus reinforces this.
MillipedeClass of arthropodsMillipedes (originating from the Latinmille, "thousand", and pes, "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the classDiplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together.
Centipede biteA centipede bite is an injury resulting from the action of a centipede's forcipules, stinger-like appendages that pierce the skin and inject venom into the wound. Such a wound is not strictly speaking a bite, as the forcipules are a modified first pair of legs rather than true mouthparts. Clinically, the wound is viewed as a cutaneous condition characterized by paired hemorrhagic marks that form a chevron shape caused by the paired forcipules.
AppendageLook up in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Generalist and specialist speciesA generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet. Most organisms do not all fit neatly into either group, however.
VenomVenom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered to other animals through a wound by means of a bite, sting or similar penetrative action, usually via a specially evolved venom apparatus, such as fangs or a stinger, in a process called envenomation.
ForcipuleForcipules are the modified, pincer-like front legs of centipedes that are used to inject venom into prey. They are the only known examples of front legs acting as venom injectors. NomenclatureForcipules go by a variety of names in both scientific and colloquial usages. They are sometimes known as poison-claws or jaw legs, referencing their evolution from maxillipeds, a term which they are also sometimes known by in the context of centipedes (maxillipeds, maxillipedes).
Metamerism (biology)In biology, metamerism is the phenomenon of having a linear series of body segments fundamentally similar in structure, though not all such structures are entirely alike in any single life form because some of them perform special functions. In animals, metameric segments are referred to as somites or metameres. In plants, they are referred to as metamers or, more concretely, phytomers.
Neo-LatinForm of the Latin language used from the 14th century to presentNeo-Latin (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy during the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and then across northern Europe after about 1500, as a key feature of the humanist movement.
ChelaeA chela () – also called a claw, nipper, or pincer – is a pincer-shaped organ at the end of certain limbs of some arthropods. The name comes from Ancient Greek (khēlḗ), through Neo-Latin. The plural form is chelae. Another common name is claw because most chelae are curved and have a sharp point like a claw. A chela is formed by the modification of at least 2 distal segments (podomeres).
PredationPredation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. The predator-prey relationship is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually).
maxillipedRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.