Stone Centipedes

Order Lithobiomorpha

The Stone Centipedes (Order Lithobiomorpha) includes 27 species across 2 families and 15 genera in our directory.

About Stone Centipedes

Lithobiomorpha (stone centipedes) includes ~1,500 described species. They are the most common centipedes in temperate regions, frequently found under stones, logs, and leaf litter in gardens.

Economic Impact

Stone centipedes are beneficial garden predators that help control pest insects, slugs, and other invertebrates. They are harmless to humans despite their venomous bite capability.

Ecological Role

Stone centipedes are important soil predators that regulate populations of springtails, mites, and other small arthropods. Unlike many centipedes, females guard their eggs until hatching - a form of maternal care.

Families in Lithobiomorpha (2)

Species in Lithobiomorpha (27)

Arenobius manegitus

Lithobiidae

Identification: Prosternal teeth 2+2, small, with large porodonts; posterior angles of 9th, 11th, and 13th tergites produced; 20 antennomeres; tibia of penultimate legs of males with a deep mesal furrow and distally with a lobe bearing a brush of hai

Gonibius rex

Lithobiidae

Identification: Posterior angles of fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth dorsal plates produced; ventral spines of anal legs 0,1, 3, 3, 2; dorsal spines of penult legs 1, 0, 3. 2, 2. The other North American species seems to be les

Gosibius montereus

Lithobiidae

Identification: Gosibius montereus Chamberlin, 1917

Lamyctes emarginatus

Henicopidae

Identification: L. pius is similar but has 28 antennal segments.

Lithobius microps

Lithobiidae

Identification: The most similar common species is Lamyctes emarginatus , which is the same size and also has 25 antennal segments. However, Lamyctes doesn't have spines on its legs like Lithobius , and has only a single ocellus on each side of the h

Paitobius zinus

Lithobiidae

Identification: Males distinguished by their greatly enlarged forcipules. Prosternal teeth 2+2. Only the males have the greatly enlarged forcipules, but this distinguishes the species from others in the eastern US

Zygethobius pontis

Henicopidae

Identification: Legs lack any spurs (separating from Lithobiidae); antennae with 43 articles; 3+3 prosternal teeth; tergites 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 produced. Posterior legs long and thin, especially 15th pair.