Diplopods (Diplopoda). Myriapods Arthropods Invertebrates Animal Kingdom. Wildlife. Fauna. Zoology. Fauna. Natural Patrimony Aragonese. Aragon. Spain.

Diplopods (Diplopoda). Myriapods Arthropods Invertebrates Animal Kingdom. Wildlife. Fauna. Zoology.

Aragon > Naturräume in Aragon > Fauna

General characters

Diplopods or chylognates (chilognata) are myriapod arthropods, which are essentially distinguished by the vertically arranged head; the body is cylindrical or semi-cylindrical; the rings, more or less numerous, carry from the sixth or seventh two pairs of legs each.
The relatively large head is divided into the crown in the upper and anterior part, finishing the latter in a free flange, and in two parts of the cheeks, which are inserted slightly in the occiput.
In two holes of the forehead the antennae are found, at some distance from each other, usually a little thicker forward and almost always have seven drafts, on top of or behind them are the agglomerations or series of oceles that however may be missing altogether. In the first case they are often pressed in such a way that at first sight they could be considered as reticular eyes.
The mouth organs are aided by the four anterior legs, they are composed on each side of a cushion-shaped disk that serves as a chewing surface, and a tooth, which constitutes the jaws and is inserted into the upper part of the disc and of the buccal valve.
The body segments vary by their number from 9 to 80 and are not constant for the same species because they increase with age.

Myriapods Arthropods
Myriapods Arthropods

Geographic distribution

Diplopods inhabit all continents, but in Europe and temperate regions they are small in size, while in warm countries there are larger species.

Uses, customs and Food

Without despising corpses, they seem to prefer plant food, they usually live in dark hiding places, although not as exclusively as chylopods.
Females lay their eggs in piles, in underground cavities, and the young are born with three or six segments, but always very short. They go through numerous changes, in which other segments are inserted in the existing ones.

When they are disturbed, they roll into a ball.
They are slow movements and usually secrete toxic and repellent substances.

Ciempies, cardador or arador (Julus terrestris)
It has the cylindrical body with the segments welded in pairs in such a way that it seems that each ring has two pairs of legs; These are short and are inserted along the ventral midline of the body.
The jaws of the second pair are welded forming a lower lip.
The antennas are very short.
Julus are boiling and harmless and spiral around with great ease.
Centipede or plower
Centipede or plower.


Other information about fauna in Aragón:

A small list of species in Aragon would be the following:

Vertebrates Invertebrates

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Fishes

Metazoans

Protozoa

   images about the fauna in Aragon.
   photographs on invertebrates.
   beneficial animals for agriculture.