Key to centipede species

1a.  15 pairs of very long, thin legs; 7 tergites (plates on back)
..........Scutigeromorpha

1b.  15 pairs of legs, 15 tergites
..........Lithobiomorpha; go to 2

1c.  15 pairs of legs, 21 tergites
..........Craterostigmomorpha

1d.  21 pairs of legs
..........Scolopendromorpha; go to 8

1e.  29 or more pairs of legs
..........Geophilomorpha; go to 10

2a.  3 or more eyes on each side of head; large spines on all legs (see drawing at right)
..........go to 3
2b.  1 eye on each side of head or no eyes; large spines, if present, only on legs 14 and 15
..........go to 4

3a.  Adult at least 20 mm long; 15-18 eyes on each side of head
..........Lithobius peregrinus

3b.  Adult 10 mm long or less; 3 eyes in row on each side of head
..........Lithobius microps

A centipede leg (right). Segment names: Co = coxa, Tr = trochanter, Pr = prefemur, Fe = femur, Ti = tibia, Ta = tarsus, Tc = tarsal claw

4a.  No eyes, orange body colour; very large spine on leg 14 prefemur, leg 15 coxa and prefemur; coxal pores on legs 14 and 15 only (see drawing at right)
..........Anopsobiinae
4b.  1 eye on each side of head and brown body colour, or no eyes and orange body colour; no very large spines on legs 14 or 15; coxal pores on legs 12 to 15
..........Henicopinae; go to 5

5a.  2+2 teeth on front edge of coxosternite (see image at right); adult 12 mm long or less
..........go to 6
5b.  At least 3+3 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; adult 15 mm long or more
..........go to 7

6a.  Brown or reddish; 1 eye on each side of head; usually 25 segments on each antenna
..........Lamyctes emarginatus
6b.  Orange; no eyes; usually 31 segments on each antenna
..........Lamyctes hellyeri

7a.  3+3 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of legs 1-12 in 3 parts, of leg 15 in 6-7 parts; 37-44 segments on each antenna
..........Henicops maculatus

7b.  4+4 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of all legs in 2 parts; 25-28 segments on each antenna
..........Paralamyctes (Edgecombegdus) mesibovi

7c.  8+8 or 9+9 teeth on front edge of coxosternite; tarsi of legs 1-12 not divided, of legs 13 to 15 in 2 parts; 19-24 segments on each antenna
..........Paralamyctes (Haasiella) subicolus

8a.  Adult to 60 mm long; blue or greenish colour; 4 eyes
..........Cormocephalus westwoodi

8b.  Adult 30 mm long or less; yellow or brown colour; no eyes
..........Cryptops species; go to 9

9a.  Last leg prefemur with groove free of setae (see image at right)
..........Cryptops hortensis
9b.  Last leg prefemur with no seta-free area
..........undescribed native Cryptops species

10a.  Antennae club-shaped
..........Ballophilus australiae

10b.  Antennae tapering
..........go to 11

11a.  Cephalic plate (yellow in drawing at right) at least 1.5 times as long as wide; up to 41 leg-pairs
..........Steneurytion species

11b.  Cephalic plate about as wide as long or slightly longer; 41 or more leg-pairs (rarely 39)
..........go to 12

12a.  Last sternite (yellow in drawing at right) wider than long, normally only 2 pores visible on each last leg coxopleuron; coastal areas only
..........Tuoba species

12b.  Last sternite about as wide as long, 6-10 large pores in 2 close rows on each last leg coxopleuron; gardens only
..........Geophilus flavus

12c.  Last sternite as long as wide or longer, numerous pores on all surfaces of last leg coxopleuron; all natural habitats and some gardens
..........Tasmanophilus species