millipedes and centipedes

Millipedes and centipedes are something we’ve been seeing a lot of lately.  My son has even been carefully collecting the millipedes for a closer look.  He is fascinated with the way that they curl up to protect themselves.  And, of course, after being told that centipedes bite he is terrified and fascinated at the same time.
Here are some interesting facts about millipedes and centipedes from lifeunseen.com

• centipedes and millipedes are not insects.  The most obvious difference from insects is the number of legs.  All insects have 3 pairs, centipedes and millipedes can have dozens or even hundreds of pairs.
• centipedes are predators and will prey on almost invertebrate
• millipedes are scavengers and mainly survive on rotting vegetation or animal matter

If you go to the lifeunseen website there are pictures of different types of centipedes and millipedes.  Sorry I don’t have a photo but the tiny size of millipedes is beyond the powers of my camera.
Do you children collect and observe insects?  Which insects are their favourites?