Adesmata is a suborder of centipedes within the order Geophilomorpha containing the superfamilies Geophiloidea and Himantarioidea.[1] This suborder contains 13 families. All members of this suborder have ventral defensive glands.[2]
Species of the suborder Adesmata are characterized by a labrum without a separate intermediate tooth, the lateral parts fringed by projections; coxal projections and telopodites of the first maxillae possessing subapical spine-sensilla and apical scutefilaments; telopodites of the second maxillae short compared to the coxosternite width; forcipular coxosternite with chitin-lines; glands along the trunk opening in ventral pore-fields; and a variable number of legs between conspecific specimens. However, there are reversals within the suborder and most autapomorphies evolved in parallel to other centipedes.[3]