CHARACTERISTICS: dorso-ventrally flatten and multi-segmented body; a pair of lateral and articulated legs per segment; reddish or yellowish-brown colour with a dark band in the posterior region of each segment (blue in juveniles); head with two yellow or orange antennae and four ocelli on each side. DEVELOPMENT: direct. ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR: opportunistic predator, hides in holes on the ground, under stones or dead leaves, preys on other arthropods and small reptiles immobilizing them with venom (can cause alergic reaction in humans); females dig a small hole to deposit the eggs and guard them until they hatch.
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