About Lithobius forficatus Linnaeus, 1758
This species, Lithobius forficatus, measures between 18 and 30 mm in length and up to 4 mm in width, and has a solid chestnut brown color. It resembles many other European lithobiid centipedes, especially the striped centipede Lithobius variegatus, but unlike L. variegatus, L. forficatus does not have striped legs. Like all lithobiids, individuals hatch from eggs with seven pairs of legs. Each molt adds a new body segment with one additional new pair of legs. Adult individuals have a maximum of 15 pairs of legs. This species is distributed mainly across Europe and North America, and is also found in the Hawaiian Islands. Like most lithobiids, it lives in the upper layers of soil, most often under rocks and rotting logs.
