Garden Symphylan
Scutigerella immaculata
📖 Description
The garden symphylan is a soil-dwelling myriapod that feeds on the roots and root hairs of a wide range of crop plants, causing damage that is often mistaken for soil-borne diseases or nutrient deficiencies. They are particularly problematic in market gardens and organic farms where soil tillage is limited and organic matter content is high. Symphylans can persist in soil for years, moving up and down in the soil profile in response to moisture and temperature. Their feeding prunes roots and reduces the plant’s ability to take up water and nutrients, resulting in stunted, unthrifty growth that is often patchy across the field.
⚠️ Symptoms to watch for
- Stunted growth in patches across the garden,Root pruning — short, stubby roots with chewed tips,Plants that wilt readily despite adequate soil moisture,Soil-dwelling white centipede-like arthropods found near roots,Poor establishment of transplants and direct-seeded crops
🩹 Treatment
- Apply beneficial nematodes to reduce symphylan populations (organic),Incorporate neem cake into soil before planting (organic),Use chlorpyrifos or diazinon soil drench for severe infestations (chemical),Apply tefluthrin granules at planting (chemical)
🌿 Organic treatments
- Apply beneficial nematodes to reduce symphylan populations,Incorporate neem cake into soil before planting
🧪 Chemical treatments
- Use chlorpyrifos or diazinon soil drench for severe infestations,Apply tefluthrin granules at planting
🛡️ Prevention
- Rotate crops to reduce buildup in specific garden areas,Till soil thoroughly in fall and spring to expose symphylans to desiccation,Improve soil drainage as symphylans prefer moist conditions,Avoid excessive organic matter incorporation that favors symphylan reproduction
🪴 Affected plants
- Tomatoes,Carrots,Beans,Strawberries
🦋 Natural predators
- Ground Beetles,Centipedes,Predatory Mites,Spiders
🌱 Host plants
- Solanum lycopersicum,Daucus carota,Phaseolus spp.,Fragaria × ananassa
🔄 Lifecycle
- Garden symphylans develop slowly, taking about 3-4 months from egg to adult.
- Eggs are laid in clusters in the soil during spring and fall.
- Juveniles hatch with six pairs of legs and add a segment and leg pair with each of six molts, reaching the adult complement of 12 pairs.
- Adults can live for several years and continue molting throughout their life.
- They are most active in the upper 15-30 cm of soil during cool, moist conditions, and move deeper during hot, dry periods.
📅 Season
- Year-round in soil (most active in spring and fall)
🔎 Appearance
- Garden symphylans are small, delicate, white to cream-colored myriapods with a soft, elongated body divided into 14 segments (as adults), each bearing a pair of legs — giving them a centipede-like appearance but with a distinctive pair of long, beaded antennae and two tail-like cerci.
- They move rapidly through the soil and are typically only 1-2 mm wide despite their length.
- Juveniles have fewer segments and leg pairs, adding segments with each molt.
- They are frequently found when turning over soil or under rocks and pots, often in large aggregations.
💥 Damage level
- Moderate
🔁 Reproduction rate
- Slow
🗺️ Geographic regions
- North America
- Europe
- Asia
- Australia
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