| Henia vesuviana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Chilopoda |
| Order: | Geophilomorpha |
| Family: | Dignathodontidae |
| Genus: | Henia |
| Species: | H. vesuviana |
| Binomial name | |
| Henia vesuviana (Newport, 1845) | |
The white-striped centipede (Henia vesuviana, formerly Chaetechelyne vesuviana), is a species of geophilid centipede belonging to the family Dignathodontidae. [1]
This is a long and slender species, reaching lengths of up to 95 mm (3.7 in) in mainland Europe. It is one of the few geophilomorph species to be identifiable in the field, with a distinct greyish colouration, orange-yellow head and rear, short terminal legs and thick mid-body. It can have anywhere between 57 and 87 leg pairs, with British specimens tending towards the middle of that range. There also exists sexual dimorphism in leg count, with males generally having fewer legs than females. It gains its common name from the distinct white dorsal blood vessel running along the length of the body. [2]
This species spends the day under cover such as logs and stones, often curled up in a ball with its underside facing outward. [2] It is able to secrete a sticky liquid from the ventral side of its segments when attacked, as demonstrated by an experiment conducted with the devil's coach horse beetle (Ocypus olens). [3] Not much is known of its diet, but it has been observed feeding on a millipede of the family Blaniulidae. [4]
It is distributed throughout Western Europe, as far east as Austria. In the United Kingdom, it is considered Nationally Scarce, but is fairly frequent in the Greater London area [5] and in coastal regions. It has been shown to prefer urban sites and arable soils. [6]
Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a tight ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from the Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to have 1,000 or more until the discovery of Eumillipes persephone, which can have over 1,300 legs. There are approximately 12,000 named species classified into 16 orders and around 140 families, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods, an arthropod group which also includes centipedes and other multi-legged creatures.
Centipedes are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda, an arthropod group which includes millipedes and other multi-legged animals. Centipedes are elongated segmented (metameric) creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful bites, injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules. Despite the name, no centipede has exactly 100 pairs of legs; they can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 382. Like spiders and scorpions, centipedes are predominantly carnivorous.
Scutigera coleoptrata, also known as the house centipede, is a species of centipede that is typically yellowish-grey and has up to 15 pairs of long legs. Originating in the Mediterranean region, it has spread to other parts of the world, where it can live in human homes. It is an insectivore; it kills and eats other arthropods, such as insects and arachnids.
Myriapods are the members of subphylum Myriapoda, containing arthropods such as millipedes and centipedes. The group contains about 13,000 species, all of them terrestrial.
The striped hyena is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus Hyaena. It is listed by the IUCN as near-threatened, as the global population is estimated to be under 10,000 mature individuals which continues to experience deliberate and incidental persecution along with a decrease in its prey base such that it may come close to meeting a continuing decline of 10% over the next three generations.
The buff striped keelback is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake found across Asia. It is a typically nonaggressive snake that feeds on frogs and toads. It belongs to the subfamily Natricinae, and is closely related to water snakes and grass snakes. It resembles an Asian version of the American garter snake. It is quite a common snake but is rarely seen.
Enoplognatha ovata, the common candy-striped spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theridiidae. Their scientific name derives from the latin word 'ovatus' which means egg-shaped. Despite its small size, this is a formidable predator which can prey on insects many times its size.
Dactylotum bicolor, also known as the rainbow grasshopper, painted grasshopper, or the barber pole grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is native to the United States, Canada and northern Mexico and exhibits aposematism. It was first described by the German entomologist Toussaint de Charpentier in 1843.
Scolopendra morsitans, also known as the Tanzanian blue ringleg or red-headed centipede, is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae. S. morsitans is the type species for the genus Scolopendra.
Geophilus flavus is a terrestrial, soil-dwelling, species of centipede in the Geophilidae family. G. flavus occurs in a range of habitats across central Europe, North America, Australia and other tropical regions. Geophilomorph centipedes, like centipedes generally, are primary predators, hunting predominantly in underground soil burrows or above ground leaf litter. Their consumption behaviours are influenced by environment and seasonal factors. Given their lack of economic value and marginal medical significance, G.flavus remains largely understudied in mainstream research. Some recent studies have detailed the evolutionary development of G.flavus and Geophilidae generally, illustrating developed predatory features like forcipule venom glands.
Julida is an order of millipedes. Members are mostly small and cylindrical, typically ranging from 10–120 millimetres (0.39–4.72 in) in length. Eyes may be present or absent, and in mature males of many species, the first pair of legs is modified into hook-like structures. Additionally, both pairs of legs on the 7th body segment of males are modified into gonopods.
Haplophilus subterraneus, commonly known as the western yellow centipede is a species of centipede in the family Himantariidae that can be found in Central Europe, Ireland, Newfoundland, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. It was recorded from a compost heap of the Botanical Garden at the University of Oslo at Teryen, Oslo in 1992 and 1995.
Pachymerium ferrugineum is a species of centipede in the family Geophilidae that can be found in Central Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavia, Asian countries such as Japan and Turkey, and on African islands such as the Azores, Canary Islands and Crete. It is also distributed in Alaska and Mexico.
The Geophilidae are a polyphyletic, cosmopolitan family of soil centipedes in the superfamily Geophiloidea containing the mostly defunct clades Aphilodontidae, Dignathodontidae, Linotaeniidae, Chilenophilinae, and Macronicophilidae. Species in this family are characterized by mandibles with a single pectinate lamella, slender antennae, sternal pores with variable arrangement, a generally slightly or moderately elongate head, frequently undivided coxosternite with two paramedian sclerotized lines, claws without rows of filament, and female gonopods usually being an undivided lamina.
Geophilus carpophagus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae, widely considered to be a type species of the genus Geophilus. It grows up to 60 millimeters in length, with an orange/tan body bearing a distinctive purplish marbled pattern. Males of this species have 51 to 55 pairs of legs; females have 53 to 57.
Geophilus proximus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the northern part of the Palearctic and widespread across the entire Baltic basin, though it reaches as far as the Arctic Circle and has been introduced through human agency to northern, central, and eastern parts of Kazakhstan. It was recorded once with certainty in Britain from Unst in the Shetland Islands; distribution in the rest of Europe is difficult to assess because of frequent misidentifications of the species. Populations from northern Europe are mostly parthenogenetic.
Geophilus truncorum is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found across Western Europe, though it reaches as far as Poland, Italy, and Morocco. This centipede is relatively small, growing up to 20mm in length, with a yellow or orangeish brown body and dark yellow or brown head, denser and shorter hair than most Geophilus species, a main plate almost as elongated as in G. flavus (115:100), and distinct carpophagus fossae on the anterior sternites. Males of this species have 37 to 41 pairs of legs; females have 35 to 41.
The centipedes or Chilopoda are divided into the following orders.