Different Types of Bugs & Insects With Lots of Legs

Caterpillars

• Caterpillars have six functional legs, but possess many pairs of false legs, termed prolegs. Caterpillars hatch from eggs laid by a butterfly and go through several growth stages. The caterpillar feed continually and sheds its skin a number of times over a period of several weeks. At this point, the caterpillar becomes a chrysalis. The caterpillar breaks down into a liquid within the chrysalis. Within this caterpillar soup, select cells begin to develop and form a butterfly, which eventually emerges from the chrysalis.

Centipedes

• Centipedes possess one pair of legs on each of their many body segments. These are slender creatures, much longer than they are wide. Centipedes possess flattened bodies and a tough outer skin. This skin does not retain moisture, however, and centipedes require moist living conditions or they will dry out. Most species of centipedes are found in damp leaf litter, or in the soil and those species, which hunt above ground, are active only at night. These nocturnal centipedes remain hidden under logs during the daylight hours. Centipedes have a flat head, which is protected by a hard shield. A number of centipede species are effectively blind and use their antennae as sense organs. Centipedes hold onto their food with two pairs of maxillae and use a pair of poison claws to kill their prey.

Millipedes

• Millipedes possess two sets of legs on virtually all of their body segments. The largest of these creatures have approximately 750 legs. These multi-segmented arthropods are found in moist and dark habitats, such as under bark and stones. Millipedes can also be found in the soil. These elongated creatures secrete chemicals from pores in their body as a defense against predators. Millipedes feed mainly on decaying vegetation.

Spiders

• Spiders are arachnids which possess eight legs and normally eight eyes. These typically plump creatures lack ears and use the hairs on their legs to detect vibrations. Spiders are made up of a head and an abdomen and molt or shed their old skin as they grow. The blood of spiders, which is light blue in color, is pumped into the legs to enable them to hold the animal's weight. Thousands of spider species exist and they inhabit most areas around the globe. A number of spiders are poisonous.