Spider vs. Centipede: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Spiders are arachnids with eight legs and no antennae, known for spinning webs, whereas centipedes are elongated arthropods with numerous legs and a pair of antennae, known for their speedy movement.
Key Differences
the cephalothorax and abdomen. Centipedes, belonging to the class Chilopoda, are characterized by their elongated bodies with one pair of legs per body segment.
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A key feature of spiders is their ability to produce silk, used for creating webs and cocoons. Centipedes, on the other hand, do not produce silk but are known for their fast and agile movement.
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Spiders typically have venomous fangs used to immobilize prey, whereas centipedes have forcipules, a type of modified leg, to inject venom into their prey.
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In terms of habitat, spiders are found in diverse environments and are often solitary. Centipedes prefer moist and dark habitats like soil and leaf litter and are also generally solitary.
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Reproduction in spiders involves a unique courtship and mating process, often with the male risking being eaten by the female. Centipedes reproduce by laying eggs, often in soil, with minimal courtship behavior.
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Comparison Chart
Body Segments
Two main segments: cephalothorax and abdomen.
Many body segments.
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Spider and Centipede Definitions
Spider
An eight-legged arachnid known for spinning webs.
The spider skillfully crafted its web in the garden.
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Centipede
A creature with forcipules for injecting venom into its prey.
The centipede captured its prey using its venomous forcipules.
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Spider
A predatory creature that often uses venom to subdue its prey.
The spider immobilized the insect with its venom.
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Centipede
An arthropod with a pair of antennae and no wings.
The centipede used its antennae to navigate the dark soil.
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Spider
An arachnid that can produce silk from its spinnerets.
The spider used its silk to create a protective cocoon.
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Centipede
A long-bodied arthropod with numerous legs, one pair per segment.
The centipede moved quickly through the underbrush.
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Spider
Any of numerous arachnids of the order Araneae, having a body divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen, eight legs, two chelicerae that bear venom glands, and two or more spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects.
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Centipede
A carnivorous creature that preys on insects and small animals.
The centipede preyed on various small insects in the garden.
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Spider
One that resembles a spider, as in appearance, character, or movement.
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Centipede
An invertebrate often found in moist, dark environments.
A centipede was hidden beneath the damp rocks.
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Spider
A program that automatically retrieves webpages and follows the links on them to retrieve more webpages. Spiders are used by search engines to retrieve publicly accessible webpages for indexing, and they can also be used to check for links to webpages that no longer exist. Also called crawler, search bot.
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Centipede
Any of various predatory arthropods of the class Chilopoda, having a long flattened body composed of segments, each bearing a pair of jointed appendages. The appendages of the foremost body segment are modified into venomous claws. Also called chilopod.
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Centipede
Any arthropod of class Chilopoda, which have a segmented body with one pair of legs per segment and from about 20 to 300 legs in total.
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Centipede
A species of the Myriapoda; esp. the large, flattened, venomous kinds of the order Chilopoda, found in tropical climates. they are many-jointed, and have a great number of feet.
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Spider
Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey.
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Centipede
Chiefly nocturnal predacious arthropod having a flattened body of 15 to 173 segments each with a pair of legs the foremost being modified into poison fangs
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Spider
A program which follows links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.
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Spider
A float drink made by mixing ice-cream and a soda or fizzy drink (such as lemonade).
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Spider
(slang) A man who persistently approaches or accosts a woman in a public social setting, particularly in a bar.
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Spider
A stick with a convex arch-shaped notched head used to support the cue when the cue ball is out of reach at normal extension; a bridge.
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Spider
A cast-iron frying pan with three legs, once common in open-hearth cookery.
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Spider
(cooking) Implement for moving food in and out of hot oil for deep frying, with a circular metal mesh attached to a long handle; a spider skimmer
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Spider
(music) Part of a resonator instrument that transmits string vibrations from the bridge to a resonator cone at multiple points.
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Spider
A skeleton or frame with radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces, such as a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; or a frame for strengthening a core or mould for a casting.
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Spider
(photography) A support for a camera tripod, preventing it from sliding.
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Spider
(lawn bowls) A competition in which several participants are spread evenly around the edges of the green, who all make one bowl towards the central jack at the same time; the winner being the person whose bowl ends up closest to the jack.
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Spider
To follow links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.
The online dictionary is regularly spidered by search engines.
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Spider
Any one of numerous species of arachnids comprising the order Araneina. Spiders have the mandibles converted into poison fangs, or falcers. The abdomen is large and not segmented, with two or three pairs of spinnerets near the end, by means of which they spin threads of silk to form cocoons, or nests, to protect their eggs and young. Many species spin also complex webs to entrap the insects upon which they prey. The eyes are usually eight in number (rarely six), and are situated on the back of the cephalothorax. See Illust. under Araneina.
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Spider
Any one of various other arachnids resembling the true spiders, especially certain mites, as the red spider (see under Red).
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Spider
An iron pan with a long handle, used as a kitchen utensil in frying food. Originally, it had long legs, and was used over coals on the hearth.
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Spider
A skeleton, or frame, having radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces; as, a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; a frame for strengthening a core or mold for a casting, etc.
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Spider
Predatory arachnid that usually has silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
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Spider
A computer program that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources that can be added to a database; the database can then be searched with a search engine
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Spider
A small invertebrate with two body segments and no wings.
A spider scurried across the forest floor.
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Spider
A solitary creature, often found in diverse environments.
A solitary spider dwelled in the abandoned house.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What do spiders eat?
They primarily eat insects and other small arthropods.
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How many legs do centipedes have?
They have a varying number, usually over 30.
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Do spiders have good eyesight?
It varies; some have excellent vision, while others rely more on touch.
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Can spiders live in water?
Some species, like the water spider, can live underwater.
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How do spiders reproduce?
Through a unique courtship ritual, followed by egg-laying.
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Are all spiders venomous?
Most have venom, but only a few are harmful to humans.
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Are centipedes fast movers?
Yes, they are known for their speed and agility.
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Do spiders play an ecological role?
Yes, they help control insect populations.
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Can spiders regenerate lost legs?
Some can regrow lost legs during molting.
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Can centipedes be found indoors?
They sometimes enter homes, usually in damp areas.
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Are spider webs used only for catching prey?
No, they also use them for protection, mating, and egg-laying.
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Do centipedes have good eyesight?
Their vision is generally not as developed; they rely more on touch and chemical signals.
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How do centipedes defend themselves?
With speed, venom, and sometimes by curling up.
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What are the natural predators of centipedes?
Birds, toads, and other larger creatures.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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