Symphylans, also known as
garden centipedes or
pseudocentipedes, are soil-dwelling
arthropods of the
class Symphyla in the subphylum
Myriapoda. Symphylans resemble
centipedes, but are smaller and
translucent, and only distantly related to true centipedes. They can move rapidly through the pores between soil particles, and are typically found from the surface down to a depth of about 50 cm. They consume decaying vegetation, but can do considerable harm in an
agricultural setting by consuming seeds, roots, and root hairs in cultivated soil.