Centipede

A soil centipede discovered under a wood log in the Lowland Meadow and added to the biota in September 2023, this predatory Chilopoda is tracked separately from the Garden Centipede (a Symphyla); species identity and current persistence are unresolved.

Chilopoda (true centipedes) are predatory myriapods found in soil, leaf litter, rotting wood, and moist terrestrial habitats worldwide. Unlike the Garden Centipede (Class Symphyla), which is a detritivore of plant roots and soil fungi, true centipedes are fast-moving hunters equipped with a pair of venom-injecting forcipules, modified front legs used to paralyze prey. Florida's centipede fauna includes several families; the most relevant to moist outdoor habitats are Geophilomorpha (soil centipedes: long, worm-like, many-legged, found under logs and in deep soil) and Lithobiomorpha (stone centipedes: flatter, faster, typically 15 leg pairs, found under rocks and logs).

The September 2023 observation describes the individual as a "soil centipede found under a wood log"; both the substrate (log) and the descriptor "soil centipede" are consistent with Geophilomorpha or Lithobiomorpha. True centipedes are almost entirely predatory; they feed on soil invertebrates including worms, insect larvae, isopods, springtails, and other small arthropods. In the Lowland Meadow ground layer, this puts the centipede in the role of a soil predator that regulates populations of small invertebrates in the leaf litter and moist soil.

The "house centipede" misidentification noted in the alternate names refers to Scutigera coleoptrata, a fast-moving, long-legged species common in Florida homes. A soil centipede found under a log is unlikely to be Scutigera; the correction is noted but the basis for the original call is not recorded.

In the Lowland Meadow, a true centipede occupies the soil predator niche: consuming isopods, worms, insect larvae, springtails, and other small invertebrates in the leaf litter and shallow soil layer. This predation regulates the detritivore and soil fauna populations and returns nutrients to the soil through excretion and molts.

This node was introduced deliberately ("added to the biota") after being found under a nearby wood log. Whether the centipede established, reproduced, or persisted in miniBIOTA is not documented. the record population notes indicate persistence inside the system has not been confirmed.

Introduction context: A soil centipede was discovered under a wood log near the Lowland Meadow on September 3, 2023 and deliberately added to the biota. Introduction method (hand transfer from log), date (September 3, 2023), and biome (Lowland Meadow) are all established from this observation.