A stinger (or sting ) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods ) capable of injecting venom , usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal.
59-422: An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of venom , although not all stings are venomous. Bites, which can introduce saliva as well as additional pathogens and diseases, are often confused with stings, and vice versa. Specific components of venom are believed to give rise to an allergic reaction , which in turn produces skin lesions that may vary from a small itching weal, or slightly elevated area of
118-500: A brain and a ventral nerve cord . Most insects reproduce by laying eggs . Insects breathe air through a system of paired openings along their sides, connected to small tubes that take air directly to the tissues. The blood therefore does not carry oxygen; it is only partly contained in vessels, and some circulates in an open hemocoel . Insect vision is mainly through their compound eyes , with additional small ocelli . Many insects can hear, using tympanal organs , which may be on
177-468: A spermatophore for the female to take up. In temperate areas, egg laying occurs in spring and summer. A few parthenogenetic species are known. Females provide parental care, both by curling their bodies around eggs and young, and by grooming them, probably to remove fungi and bacteria. Centipedes are longer-lived than insects; the European Lithobius forficatus may live for 5 to 6 years, and
236-560: A broad range of prey. Common prey items include lumbricid earthworms, dipteran fly larvae, collembolans , and other centipedes. They are carnivorous; study of gut contents suggests that plant material is an unimportant part of their diets, although they eat vegetable matter when starved during laboratory experiments. Species of Scolopendromorph , noticeably members from the genera Scolopendra and Ethmostigmus , are able to hunt for substantial prey items, including large invertebrates and sizable vertebrates, which could be larger than
295-432: A few insects leave them in the wounds. For example, of the 20,000 species of bees worldwide, only the half-dozen species of honeybees ( Apis ) are reported to have a barbed stinger that cannot be withdrawn; of wasps, nearly all are reported to have smooth stingers with the exception of two species, Polybia rejecta and Synoeca surinama . A few non-insect arthropods, such as scorpions , also sting. Among arthropods ,
354-507: A food item, certain large centipedes are consumed in China , usually skewered and grilled or deep fried. They are often seen in street vendors’ stalls in large cities, including Donghuamen and Wangfujing markets in Beijing . Large centipedes are steeped in alcohol to make centipede vodka. Some species of centipedes can be hazardous to humans because of their bite. While a bite to an adult human
413-552: A hundred species, are marine. Insects such as snow scorpionflies flourish in cold habitats including the Arctic and at high altitude. Insects such as desert locusts , ants, beetles, and termites are adapted to some of the hottest and driest environments on earth, such as the Sonoran Desert . Insects form a clade , a natural group with a common ancestor, among the arthropods . A phylogenetic analysis by Kjer et al. (2016) places
472-430: A moist microhabitat because they lack the waxy cuticle of insects and arachnids , therefore causing them to rapidly lose water. Accordingly, they avoid direct sunlight by staying under cover or by being active at night . Centipedes have a rounded or flattened head, bearing a pair of antennae at the forward margin. They have a pair of elongated mandibles , and two pairs of maxillae . The first pair of maxillae form
531-618: A nearly immobile pupa . Insects that undergo three-stage metamorphosis lack a pupa, developing through a series of increasingly adult-like nymphal stages. The higher level relationship of the insects is unclear. Fossilized insects of enormous size have been found from the Paleozoic Era, including giant dragonfly-like insects with wingspans of 55 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in). The most diverse insect groups appear to have coevolved with flowering plants . Adult insects typically move about by walking and flying; some can swim. Insects are
590-402: A pain-producing agent and the other in the distribution and penetration of the paralyzing components to vulnerable sites in the offender. This helps in the rapid immobilization of the animal or of the body parts receiving the venom. Spiders only bite, although some tarantulas have barbed bristles called urticating hairs . Certain caterpillars also have urticating hairs. Centipedes also possess
649-451: A role in mating rituals. Because glandular pores occur more frequently on ultimate legs than on the "walking" legs, they may serve a sensory role. They are sometimes used in defensive postures, and some species use them to capture prey, defend themselves against predators, or suspend themselves from objects such as branches, using the legs as pincers. Several species use their ultimate legs upon encountering another centipede, trying to grab
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#1732849060477708-628: A simple tube, with digestive glands attached to the mouthparts. Like insects, centipedes breathe through a tracheal system , typically with a single opening, or spiracle , on each body segment. They excrete waste through a single pair of malpighian tubules . Just as the first pair of legs are modified into forcipules, the back legs are modified into "ultimate legs", also called anal legs, caudal legs, and terminal legs. Their use varies between species, but does not include locomotion. The ultimate legs may be elongated and thin, thickened, or pincer-like. They are frequently sexually dimorphic , and may play
767-402: A sting or stinger is a sharp organ, often connected with a venom gland and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing, as with the caudal sting of a scorpion . Stings are usually located at the rear of the animal. Animals with stings include bees, wasps (including hornets ), some ants like fire ants , and scorpions , as well as a single beetle species ( Onychocerus albitarsis ) that can deliver
826-415: A variable number of ocelli , sometimes clustered together to form true compound eyes . However, these eyes are only capable of discerning light from dark, and provide no true vision. In some species, the first pair of legs can function as sensory organs, similar to antennae; unlike the antennae of most other invertebrates, these point backwards. An unusual clustering of sensory organs found in some centipedes
885-525: A variety of ways. Male moths can sense the pheromones of female moths over great distances. Other species communicate with sounds: crickets stridulate , or rub their wings together, to attract a mate and repel other males. Lampyrid beetles communicate with light. Humans regard many insects as pests , especially those that damage crops, and attempt to control them using insecticides and other techniques. Others are parasitic , and may act as vectors of diseases . Insect pollinators are essential to
944-484: A venomous bite rather than a sting, inflicted with a highly modified first pair of legs, called forcipules . Organs that perform similar functions in non-arthropods are often referred to as "stings". These organs include the modified dermal denticle of the stingray , the venomous spurs on the hind legs of the male platypus , and the cnidocyte tentacles of the jellyfish . Insect Insects (from Latin insectum ) are hexapod invertebrates of
1003-428: A venomous sting from its antennae, whose terminal segments have evolved to resemble a scorpion's tail. In all stinging Hymenoptera the sting is a modified ovipositor . Unlike most other stings, honey bee workers' stings are strongly barbed and lodge in the flesh of mammals upon use, tearing free from the honey bee's body, killing the bee within minutes. The sting has its own ganglion , and it continues to saw into
1062-403: Is anamorphic : more segments and pairs of legs are grown between moults . For example, Scutigera coleoptrata , the house centipede, hatches with only four pairs of legs and in successive moults has 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 15, 15 and 15 pairs respectively, before becoming a sexually mature adult. Life stages with fewer than 15 pairs of legs are called larval stadia (there are about five stages). After
1121-494: Is epimorphic, meaning that all pairs of legs are developed in the embryonic stages, and offspring do not develop more legs between moults. This clade contains the longest centipedes. In the Geophilomorpha, the number of thoracic segments usually varies within species, often on a geographical basis, and in most cases, females bear more legs than males. The number of leg-bearing segments varies within each order (usually 21 or 23 in
1180-620: Is not barbed and can be used to sting repeatedly. The description of barbed or unbarbed is not precise: there are barbs on the stings of yellowjacket wasps and the Mexican honey wasp , but the barbs are so small that the wasp can sometimes withdraw its sting apparatus from victim's skin. The stings of some wasps, such as those of the Polistes versicolor , contain relatively large amounts of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in its venoms. The 5-HT in these venoms has been found to play at least two roles: one as
1239-415: Is the organ of Tömösváry . The organs, at the base of the antennae, consist of a disc-like structure and a central pore, with an encircling of sensitive cells. They are likely used for sensing vibrations, and may provide a weak form of hearing. Forcipules are unique to centipedes. The forcipules are modifications of the first pair of legs (the maxillipeds), forming a pincer -like appendage , just behind
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#17328490604771298-483: Is usually very painful and may cause severe swelling, chills, fever , and weakness, it is unlikely to be fatal. Bites can be dangerous to small children and those with allergies to bee stings. The venomous bite of larger centipedes can induce anaphylactic shock in such people. Smaller centipedes are generally incapable of piercing human skin. Even small centipedes that cannot pierce human skin are considered frightening by some humans due to their dozens of legs moving at
1357-506: The Cretaceous . The following cladogram shows the position of the Chilopoda within the arthropods as of 2019: inc. horseshoe crabs and spiders [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Chilopoda [REDACTED] millipedes and allies [REDACTED] inc. crustaceans and insects [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Within the myriapods, centipedes are believed to be the first of
1416-609: The IUCN Red List , there are one vulnerable , six endangered , and three critically endangered species of centipede. For example, the Serpent Island centipede ( Scolopendra abnormis) is vulnerable, and Turk's earth centipede (Nothogeophilus turki) and the Seychelles long-legged centipede ( Seychellonema gerlachi) are both endangered. The fossil record of centipedes extends back to 430 million years ago , during
1475-655: The Late Silurian ( Crussolum ), though they are rare throughout the Paleozoic . The Devonian Panther Mountain Formation contains two species of centipede. One is a species of the scutigeromorph Crussolum . The other is Devonobius , which is included in the extinct group Devonobiomorpha. Another Devonian site, the Rhynie chert , also bears Crussolum fossils, and possible scutigeromorph head material. Rhyniognatha , which
1534-830: The Latin word insectum from in , "cut up", as insects appear to be cut into three parts. The Latin word was introduced by Pliny the Elder who calqued the Ancient Greek word ἔντομον éntomon "insect" (as in entomology ) from ἔντομος éntomos "cut in pieces"; this was Aristotle 's term for this class of life in his biology , also in reference to their notched bodies. The English word insect first appears in 1601 in Philemon Holland 's translation of Pliny. In common speech, insects and other terrestrial arthropods are often called bugs . Entomologists to some extent reserve
1593-2333: The Paraneoptera , and Kjer et al. 2016 for the Holometabola . The numbers of described extant species (boldface for groups with over 100,000 species) are from Stork 2018. Archaeognatha (hump-backed/jumping bristletails, 513 spp) [REDACTED] Zygentoma (silverfish, firebrats, fishmoths, 560 spp) [REDACTED] Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies, 5,899 spp) [REDACTED] Ephemeroptera (mayflies, 3,240 spp) [REDACTED] Zoraptera (angel insects, 37 spp) [REDACTED] Dermaptera (earwigs, 1,978 spp) [REDACTED] Plecoptera (stoneflies, 3,743 spp) [REDACTED] Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, 23,855 spp) [REDACTED] Grylloblattodea (ice crawlers, 34 spp) [REDACTED] Mantophasmatodea (gladiators, 15 spp) [REDACTED] Phasmatodea (stick insects, 3,014 spp) [REDACTED] Embioptera (webspinners, 463 spp) [REDACTED] Mantodea (mantises, 2,400 spp) [REDACTED] Blattodea (cockroaches and termites, 7,314 spp) [REDACTED] Psocodea (book lice, barklice and sucking lice, 11,000 spp) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Hemiptera (true bugs, 103,590 spp) [REDACTED] Thysanoptera (thrips, 5,864 spp) [REDACTED] Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, bees, ants, 116,861 spp) [REDACTED] Strepsiptera (twisted-wing flies, 609 spp) [REDACTED] Coleoptera (beetles, 386,500 spp) [REDACTED] Raphidioptera (snakeflies, 254 spp) [REDACTED] Neuroptera (lacewings, 5,868 spp) [REDACTED] Megaloptera (alderflies and dobsonflies, 354 spp) [REDACTED] Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths, 157,338 spp) [REDACTED] Trichoptera (caddisflies, 14,391 spp) [REDACTED] Diptera (true flies, 155,477 spp) [REDACTED] Mecoptera (scorpionflies, 757 spp) [REDACTED] Siphonaptera (fleas, 2,075 spp) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin centi- , "hundred", and Latin pes, pedis , " foot ") are predatory arthropods belonging to
1652-439: The class Insecta . They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum . Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton , a three-part body ( head , thorax and abdomen ), three pairs of jointed legs , compound eyes , and a pair of antennae . Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species ; they represent more than half of all animal species. The insect nervous system consists of
1711-618: The Hemiptera (true bugs), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Diptera (true flies), Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, and bees), and Coleoptera (beetles), each with more than 100,000 described species. Insects are distributed over every continent and almost every terrestrial habitat. There are many more species in the tropics , especially in rainforests , than in temperate zones. The world's regions have received widely differing amounts of attention from entomologists. The British Isles have been thoroughly surveyed, so that Gullan and Cranston 2014 state that
1770-516: The Scolopendromorpha; from 27 to 191 in the Geophilomorpha), but the total number of pairs is always odd, so there are never exactly 100 legs or 100 pairs, despite the group's common name. Centipede segments are developed in two phases. Firstly, the head gives rise to a fixed but odd number of segments, driven by Hox genes as in all arthropods. Secondly, pairs of segments are added at
1829-415: The body of the other centipede. Members of the genus Alipes can stridulate their leaf-like ultimate legs to distract or threaten predators. Rhysida immarginata togoensis makes a faint creaking sound when it swings its ultimate legs. There are many differences between millipedes and centipedes. Both groups of myriapods have long, multi-segmented bodies, many legs, a single pair of antennae, and
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1888-575: The class Chilopoda ( Ancient Greek χεῖλος , kheilos , "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix -poda , "foot", describing the forcipules ) of the subphylum Myriapoda , an arthropod group which includes millipedes and other multi-legged animals. Centipedes are elongated segmented ( metameric ) creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful stings , injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules or toxicognaths, which are actually modified legs instead of fangs . Despite
1947-596: The extant classes to branch from the last common ancestor . The five orders of centipedes are: Craterostigmomorpha , Geophilomorpha , Lithobiomorpha , Scolopendromorpha , and Scutigeromorpha . These orders are united into the clade Chilopoda by the following synapomorphies : The Chilopoda are then split into two clades: the Notostigmophora including the Scutigeromorpha and the Pleurostigmophora including
2006-472: The final two segments are small and legless. Each pair of legs is slightly longer than the pair preceding them, ensuring that they do not overlap, which reduces the chance that they will collide and trip the animal. The last pair of legs may be as much as twice the length of the first pair. The final segment bears a telson , and includes the openings of the reproductive organs. Centipedes mainly use their antennae to seek out their prey. The digestive tract forms
2065-409: The first 50 million years of the clade's evolutionary history, centipede venoms appear to have consisted of a simple cocktail of about four different components, and differentiation into specific venom types appears to have only occurred after the currently recognized five orders had developed. The evolution of the venom includes horizontal gene transfer , involving bacteria, fungi and oomycetes . As
2124-431: The full complement of legs is achieved, the now postlarval stadia (about five more stages) develop gonopods, sensory pores, more antennal segments, and more ocelli. All mature lithobiomorph centipedes have 15 leg-bearing segments. The Craterostigmomorpha only have one phase of anamorphosis, with embryos having 12 pairs, and adults 15. The clade Epimorpha, consisting of the orders Geophilomorpha and Scolopendromorpha ,
2183-402: The head. Forcipules are not oral mouthparts , though they are used to subdue prey by injecting venom and gripping the prey animal. Venom glands run through a tube, from inside the head to the tip of each forcipule. Behind the head, the body consists of at least fifteen segments. Most of the segments bear a single pair of legs; the maxillipeds project forward from the first body segment, while
2242-592: The insects among the Hexapoda , six-legged animals with segmented bodies; their closest relatives are the Diplura (bristletails). Collembola (springtails) [REDACTED] Protura (coneheads) [REDACTED] Diplura (two-pronged bristletails) [REDACTED] Insecta (=Ectognatha) [REDACTED] The internal phylogeny is based on the works of Wipfler et al. 2019 for the Polyneoptera , Johnson et al. 2018 for
2301-406: The legs or other parts of the body. Their sense of smell is via receptors, usually on the antennae and the mouthparts. Nearly all insects hatch from eggs . Insect growth is constrained by the inelastic exoskeleton, so development involves a series of molts . The immature stages often differ from the adults in structure, habit and habitat. Groups that undergo four-stage metamorphosis often have
2360-454: The lower lip, and bear short palps . The first pair of limbs stretch forward from the body over the mouth. These limbs, or forcipules, end in sharp claws and include venom glands that help the animal to kill or paralyze its prey. Their size ranges from a few millimetres in the smaller lithobiomorphs and geophilomorphs to about 30 cm (12 in) in the largest scolopendromorphs . Many species of centipedes lack eyes, but some possess
2419-618: The myriapod itself. For instance, Scolopendra gigantea (the Amazonian giant centipede) preys on tarantulas , scorpions , lizards , frogs , birds , mice , snakes , and even bats , catching them in midflight. Three species ( Scolopendra cataracta , S. paradoxa , and S. alcyona ) are amphibious, believed to hunt aquatic or amphibious invertebrates. Many larger animals prey upon centipedes, such as mongooses , mice , salamanders , beetles and some specialist snake species. They form an important item of diet for many species and
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2478-402: The name "bugs" for a narrow category of " true bugs ", insects of the order Hemiptera , such as cicadas and shield bugs . Other terrestrial arthropods, such as centipedes , millipedes , woodlice , spiders , mites and scorpions , are sometimes confused with insects, since they have a jointed exoskeleton. Adult insects are the only arthropods that ever have wings, with up to two pairs on
2537-425: The name, no species of centipede has exactly 100 legs; the number of pairs of legs is an odd number that ranges from 15 pairs to 191 pairs. Centipedes are predominantly generalist carnivorous , hunting for a variety of prey items that can be overpowered. They have a wide geographical range, which can be found in terrestrial habitats from tropical rainforests to deserts . Within these habitats, centipedes require
2596-554: The only invertebrates that can achieve sustained powered flight; insect flight evolved just once. Many insects are at least partly aquatic , and have larvae with gills; in some species, the adults too are aquatic. Some species, such as water striders , can walk on the surface of water. Insects are mostly solitary, but some, such as bees , ants and termites , are social and live in large, well-organized colonies . Others, such as earwigs , provide maternal care, guarding their eggs and young. Insects can communicate with each other in
2655-624: The other four orders. The following physical and developmental traits can be used to separate members of the Pleurostigmomorpha from Notostigmomorpha: It was previously believed that Chilopoda was split into Anamorpha (Lithobiomorpha and Scutigeromorpha) and Epimorpha (Geophilomorpha and Scolopendromorpha), based on developmental modes, with the relationship of the Craterostigmomorpha being uncertain. Recent phylogenetic analyses using combined molecular and morphological characters supports
2714-405: The other secreting an alkaline neurotoxin ; acting independently, each toxin is rather mild, but when they combine through the sting, the combination has strong irritating properties. In a small number of cases, the second occasion of a bee or wasp sting causes a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis . While the overwhelming majority of insects withdraw their stingers from their victims,
2773-450: The presence of postantennal organs . Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment, while millipedes have two. Their heads differ in that millipedes have short, elbowed antennae , a pair of robust mandibles and a single pair of maxillae fused into a lip; centipedes have long, threadlike antennae, a pair of small mandibles, two pairs of maxillae and a pair of large venom claws. Centipede reproduction does not involve copulation. Males deposit
2832-451: The previous phylogeny. The Epimorpha still exist as a monophyletic group within the Pleurostigmophora, but the Anamorpha are paraphyletic , as shown in the cladogram: Scutigeromorpha [REDACTED] Lithobiomorpha [REDACTED] Craterostigmomorpha [REDACTED] Scolopendromorpha [REDACTED] Geophilomorpha [REDACTED] All centipedes are venomous . Over
2891-535: The reproduction of many flowering plants and so to their ecosystems. Many insects are ecologically beneficial as predators of pest insects, while a few provide direct economic benefit. Two species in particular are economically important and were domesticated many centuries ago: silkworms for silk and honey bees for honey . Insects are consumed as food in 80% of the world's nations, by people in roughly 3000 ethnic groups. Human activities are having serious effects on insect biodiversity . The word insect comes from
2950-447: The secretions of Geophilus vittatus are sticky and odorous, and contain hydrogen cyanide. The giant desert centipede of Arizona, Scolopendra polymorpha , has a black head and tail, and an orange body; this conspicuous pattern may be aposematic , an honest signal of the animal's toxicity. Many species raise and splay their ultimate legs and display the spines found on the legs in a defensive threat posture. Because centipedes lack
3009-430: The skin, to large areas of inflamed skin covered by vesicles and crusted lesions . Stinging insects produce a painful swelling of the skin, the severity of the lesion varying according to the location of the sting, the identity of the insect and the sensitivity of the subject. Many species of bees and wasps have two poison glands, one gland secreting a toxin in which formic acid is one recognized constituent, and
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#17328490604773068-563: The staple diet of some such as the African ant Amblyopone pluto , which feeds solely on geophilomorph centipedes, and the South African Cape black-headed snake Aparallactus capensis . Some Geophilomorph, Lithobiomorph, and Scolopendromorph centipedes produce sticky, toxic secretions to defend themselves. The various secretions ward off or entangle predators. Scolopendromorph secretions contain hydrogen cyanide . Among Geophilomorphs,
3127-628: The tail (posterior) end by the creation of a prepattern unit, a double segment, which is then always divided into two. The repeated creation of these prepattern units is driven by an oscillator clock, implemented with the Notch signalling pathway . The segments are homologous with the legs of other arthropods such as trilobites ; it would be sufficient for the Notch clock to run faster , as it does in snakes , to create more legs. Centipedes are predominantly generalist predators, which means they are adapted to eat
3186-547: The target's flesh and release venom for several minutes. This trait is of obvious disadvantage to the individual but protects the hive from attacks by large animals; aside from the effects of the venom, the remnant also marks the stung animal with honey bee alarm pheromone. The barbs of a honey bee's attack are only suicidal if the skin is elastic, as is characteristic of vertebrates such as birds and mammals; honey bees can sting other insects repeatedly without dying. The sting of nearly all other bees and other sting-bearing organisms
3245-527: The thorax. Whether winged or not, adult insects can be distinguished by their three-part body plan, with head, thorax, and abdomen; they have three pairs of legs on the thorax. Estimates of the total number of insect species vary considerably, suggesting that there are perhaps some 5.5 million insect species in existence, of which about one million have been described and named. These constitute around half of all eukaryote species, including animals , plants , and fungi . The most diverse insect orders are
3304-518: The total of around 22,500 species is probably within 5% of the actual number there; they comment that Canada's list of 30,000 described species is surely over half of the actual total. They add that the 3000 species of the American Arctic must be broadly accurate. In contrast, a large majority of the insect species of the tropics and the southern hemisphere are probably undescribed. Some 30–40,000 species inhabit freshwater ; very few insects, perhaps
3363-510: The waxy water-resistant cuticle of other arthropods, they are more susceptible to water loss via evaporation. Thus, centipedes are most commonly found in high-humidity environments to avoid dehydration, and are mostly nocturnal . Centipedes live in many different habitats including in soil and leaf litter; they are found in environments as varied as tropical rain forests, deserts, and caves. Some geophilomorphs are adapted to littoral habitats, where they feed on barnacles . According to
3422-451: The wide-ranging Scolopendra subspinipes can live for over 10 years. The combination of a small number of eggs laid, long gestation period, and long time of development to reproduction has led authors to label lithobiomorph centipedes as K-selected . Centipedes grow their legs at different points in their development. In the primitive condition, seen in the orders Lithobiomorpha , Scutigeromorpha , and Craterostigmomorpha , development
3481-565: Was once thought to be the oldest insect fossil, is also found in the Rhynie Chert. Three species, one scutigeromorph ( Latzelia ) and two scolopendromorphs ( Mazoscolopendra and the poorly known Palenarthrus ), have been described from the Mazon Creek fossil beds , which are Carboniferous , 309–307 mya. More species appear in the Mesozoic , including scolopendromorphs and scutigeromorphs in
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