Chilopoda - New

Chilopoda is a group of animals that make up the class Arthropoda, and includes the so-called centipedes and house centipedes. Among the arthropods that have adapted to life on land, they resemble insects in that they have a pair of antennae on their heads, Malpighian tubules, a ladder-shaped nervous system, tracheal breathing, and reproductive organs at the end of their tails; however, the appendages on the first body segment become powerful mandibles, and they have poison glands, which are considered to be very unique characteristics, and it is thought that they followed a different evolutionary path from insects at an early stage. There are nearly 3,000 known species in the world, and there are many large species in tropical regions.

[Keizaburou Shinohara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

節足動物門の1綱Chilopodaを構成する動物群で、いわゆるムカデ類とゲジ類が含まれる。陸上生活に適応した節足動物のうち、頭に1対の触角をもち、マルピーギ管、梯子(はしご)形神経系、気管呼吸、尾端に生殖器があることなど昆虫類に似ているが、第1胴節の付属肢が強大な顎肢(がくし)となり、毒腺(どくせん)をもつのは非常に特殊な標徴とされており、早い時期に昆虫とは別の進化の道をたどったと考えられている。世界に約3000種近い種類が知られており、熱帯地方には大形種が多い。

［篠原圭三郎］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例