| Alloschizotaenia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Chilopoda |
| Order: | Geophilomorpha |
| Family: | Geophilidae |
| Genus: | Alloschizotaenia Brölemann, 1909 |
| Type species | |
| Schizotaenia minuta Silvestri, 1907 | |
| Species | |
Alloschizotaenia is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae. [1] This genus contains only three valid species. [1] Centipedes in this genus are found in central and east Africa. [2]
This genus was first proposed by the French myriapodologist Henri W. Brölemann in 1909 to contain the type species Alloschizotaenia minuta, [3] which was originally described under the name Schizotaenia minuta by the Italian zoologist Filippo Silvestri in 1907. [4] Silvestri described of this species based on a small male specimen measuring only 9 mm in length. This specimen was found in Amani, in the Usumbara mountains, in what is now Tanzania. [4] [5]
In 1909, the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems described Schizotaenia pluvia as a new species based on syntypes including both sexes. [6] [7] These specimens were collected by the Swedish naturalist Yngve Sjöstedt from Mount Meru in 1905 and 1906 in what is now Tanzania. [8] [9] One syntype of each sex and other type material in the form of slides are deposited in the Natural History Museum in Vienna; another male syntype is stored at the Natural History Museum in Berlin. [9]
In 1914, the French zoologist Henri Ribaut deemed Schizotaenia pluvia to be a junior synonym of Alloschizotaenia minuta, and authorities now consider these centipedes to be the same species. [7] Ribaut studied numerous A. minuta specimens of different ages and concluded that Silvestri's small specimen was young and that the slight differences between the descriptions provided by Silvestri and Attems flow from intraspecific variation among specimens of different ages. The specimens studied by Ribaut included both sexes and were collected in 1912 by the French zoologists Charles A. Alluaud and René Jeannel, who found these specimens at several different sites, including the Kikuyu escarpment near the town of Kijabé as well as the alpine meadows of Mount Kinangop in the Aberdare Range, both locations in Kenya, and the alpine meadows near Moshi on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in what is now Tanzania. [8]
In 1937, Attems described Alloschizotaenia occidentalis as a new species based on a female holotype. [10] [11] The Belgian zoologist Henri Schouteden collected this specimen in 1925 in Ituri Province in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The holotype is deposited in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. [9]
In 1952, Attems described Alloschizotaenia bipora as another new species in the same genus. [12] [13] He based the original description of this species on several syntypes, including nine males, five females, and one juvenile, collected by the Belgian zoologist Narcisse Leleup in the Rugege forest in Rwanda in 1951. The syntypes are deposited in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. [9] In 1958, the Czech myriapodologist Luděk .J. Dobroruka reported the discovery of six specimens of A. bipora (four males and two females) collected by the Austrian zoologist Herbert Franz in 1954 in Yangambi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [14]
Species in this genus feature elongate heads and forcipules. The sternite of the second maxillae is divided lengthwise in the middle. The sternites lack ventral pores. The basal element of each of the ultimate legs features a few pores close to the corresponding sternite, and each of these legs ends in a spinous tubercle. [2] [15]
Centipedes in this genus are relatively small, ranging from about 1 cm to about 2 cm in length. [2] Each of the species A. minuta and A. bipora reaches a maximum recorded length of only 18 mm. [8] [12] Similarly, the holotype for the species A. occidentalis measures only 17 mm in length. [10]
These species also feature similar numbers of legs. The species A. bipora features 39 pairs of legs in each sex, [12] and the female holotype for the species A. occidentalis also has 39 leg pairs. [10] The species A. minuta exhibits intraspecific variation in leg number: Males of this species can have 37, 39, or 41 leg pairs, and females can have 39 or 41 pairs. [4] [6] [16] [8]
Queenslandophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae. This genus was described by German myriapodologist Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1925. These centipedes are found in Australia, Japan, and North America.
Ribautia is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. This genus was described by French myriapodologist Henry Wilfred Brolemann in 1909. Centipedes in this genus are found in South America, tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula, Australia, New Zealand, and Melanesia.
Geophilus duponti is a species of centipede in the Geophilidae family. It is endemic to Australia, and was first described in 1897 by Italian entomologist Filippo Silvestri.
Schendyla is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Schendylidae. These centipedes are found in the west Palearctic region. This genus was described by Danish entomologists Vilhelm Bergsøe and Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert in 1866. This genus now includes more than 20 species.
Dichelobius is a genus of centipedes in the family Henicopidae. It was described by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems in 1911.
Paralamyctes is a genus of centipedes in the family Henicopidae. It was described by British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901.
Maoriella edentata is a species of centipede in the Geophilidae family. It was first described in 1947 by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems.
Pleotarsobius is a monotypic genus of centipedes in the family Henicopidae. It was described in 1909 by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems. The sole species is Pleotarsobius heterotarsus.
Paracryptops is a genus of centipedes in the family Cryptopidae. It was described in 1891 by British myriapodologist Reginald Innes Pocock.
Australobius loriae is a species of centipede in the Lithobiidae family. It was described in 1894 by Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri.
Mecistocephalus uncifer is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 65 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus modestus is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by the Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 35 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus subgigas is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 60 mm in length.
Geophilus oligopus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in several European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovenia, and Romania. Although this centipede has been described as having an Alpine-Dinaric distribution, this species has also been found in the Carpathian mountains and may be more widespread than previously thought.
Dicellophilus carniolensis is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is well known and found in central Europe. This species features 43 pairs of legs, a number rarely found in the family Mecistocephalidae and recorded in only one other genus in this family: In the genus Tygarrup, an undescribed species found in the Andaman Islands also has 43 leg pairs.
Arctogeophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophildae. These centipedes are found in subarctic and temperate regions of Asia, North America, and western Europe. The taxon Arctogeophilus was first proposed in 1909 by the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems as a subgenus within the genus Geophilus. The French zoologist Henri Ribaut elevated Arctogeophilus to the rank of genus in 1910.
Arctogeophilus glacialis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophildae. This centipede is found in Russia, Alaska, and Canada. This species was first described in 1909 by the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems as the type species for the taxon Arctogeophilus, which was originally described as a subgenus of the genus Geophilus but was elevated to the status of genus in 1910 by the French zoologist Henri Ribaut.
Alloschizotaenia bipora is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This species was first described in 1952 by the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems.
Arctogeophilus inopinatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophildae. This centipede is found in western and central France and may also be present in Luxembourg. This species is small, measuring only 18 mm in length, and can have either 39 or 41 pairs of legs.
Escaryus kirgizicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. As the species name suggests, this centipede is found in Kyrgyzstan. This species is known only from high mountains and is notable for being found at one of the highest altitudes recorded for any centipede in the order Geophilomorpha in Central Asia.