[3] The Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems originally proposed Mesoschendyla in 1909 as a subgenus within the genus Schendyla.
[2] These centipedes resemble their close relatives in the genera Schendylops and Orygmadyla.
[5] Centipedes in this genus feature fields of pores on the anterior sternites only.
[3][6][7] Both M. javanica and the African species M. franzi measure only 10 mm in length and are notable for their small size.
[6][8][3] Both M. monopora and M. picturata can reach 40 mm in length and are notable for their large size.