Lithobius Last updated September 13, 2025 Description Most Lithobius species are typical representatives of the family Lithobiidae . They are about 2–5 centimetres (0.8–2.0 in) long and brownish in colour. The adult's body has 18 segments , and 15 pairs of legs . [ 2] The special characteristics include the dispersed openings of coxal glands of the last pair of legs.
Behaviour and ecology Stone centipedes are found under stones or bark, in soil and decaying matter. Some are common in gardens. Lithobius forficatus is the most abundant centipede species in Europe. Like other centipedes, they are more active at night. They feed on insects and other small invertebrates . The eggs are deposited singly in soil. [ 2] The lifespan can be over 3 years.
Taxonomy The genus Lithobius was erected in 1814 by William Elford Leach , in an article published in David Brewster 's Edinburgh Encyclopædia . [ 1] The name derives from Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos ), meaning "stone", and βίος (bíos ), meaning "life". [ 3] Leach did not designate a type species , and none was selected until Pierre André Latreille chose Scolopendra forficata Linnaeus, 1758 (now Lithobius forficatus ). [ 1] Lithobius is the name-giving genus for the family Lithobiidae . [ 1]
Lithobius is one of about 100 genera or subgenera in the subfamily Lithobiinae. It contains over 500 species and numerous subspecies . [ 4] The classification of species inside the genus is a matter of discussion too. Some authors divide the genus into subgenera Eulithobius , Lithobius , Monotarsobius , Neolithobius , Pleurolithobius , Pseudolithobius , Sigibius , Thracolithobius and Troglolithobius .
Species The genus Lithobius includes the following species: [ 4]
Lithobius acherontis Verhoeff, 1900 Lithobius acipayamus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius adherens Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius aidonensis Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius allotiphlus (Silvestri, 1908) Lithobius alpicosiensis Latzel, 1887 Lithobius alpinus Koch, 1862 non Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius altus Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius ameles Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius angolianus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius anisanus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius ankarensis Verhoeff, 1944 Lithobius anodus Latzel, 1880 Lithobius antipai Matic, 1969 Lithobius aostanus Verhoeff, 1934 Lithobius apfelbecki Verhoeff, 1900 Lithobius ardesiacus Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius argaeensis Attems, 1905 Lithobius argus Newport, 1844 Lithobius armatus Selivanov, 1878 Lithobius asper Muralevitch, 1926 Lithobius athesinus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius atticus Verhoeff, 1901 Lithobius audax Meinert, 1872 Lithobius bartsiokasi Matic & Stavropoulos, 1990 Lithobius bebekensis (Verhoeff, 1944) Lithobius berkeleyensis Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius beroni Negrea, 1965 Lithobius biarmatus Matic, 1970 Lithobius bicolor Tömösvary, 1879 Lithobius bicuspidatus (Matic, 1957) Lithobius bifidus Matic, 1973 Lithobius binaghii Manfredi, 1937 Lithobius biporus Silvestri, 1894 Lithobius boettgeri Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius bolognai Zapparoli, 1991 Lithobius bonensis Meinert, 1872 Lithobius bosporanus (Verhoeff, 1941) Lithobius brachycephalus Fanzago, 1880 Lithobius brevicornis Daday, 1889 Lithobius buakheriacus Zapparoli, 1985 Lithobius bulgaricus (Verhoeff, 1925) Lithobius bullatus Eason, 1993 Lithobius burzenlandicus (Verhoeff, 1931) Lithobius buxtoni Brölemann, 1924 Lithobius calabrensis Fedrizzi, 1878 Lithobius calamatanus (Verhoeff, 1899) Lithobius canariensis Eason, 1992 Lithobius cantabrigensis Meinert Lithobius capreae Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius carmenae Matic, 1968 Lithobius cassinensis Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius castaneus Newport, 1844 Lithobius cavernicola Fanzago, 1877 Lithobius cerberulus Verhoeff, 1941 Lithobius cerii Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius chalusensis Matic, 1969 Lithobius chikerensis Verhoeff, 1936 Lithobius cinnamomenus Koch, 1862 Lithobius clarki Eason, 1975 Lithobius communis Koch, 1844 Lithobius consimilis Eason, 1992 Lithobius corcyraeus Verhoeff, 1899 Lithobius coriaceus Koch, 1862 Lithobius corrigendus Dobroruka, 1988 Lithobius crassipes Koch, 1862 Lithobius creticus Dobroruka, 1977 Lithobius crissolensis Verhoeff Lithobius croaticus Matic & Teodoreanu, 1967 Lithobius cryptobius Silvestri, 1897 Lithobius curtipes Koch, 1847 Lithobius curtirostris Eisen & Stuxberg, 1868 Lithobius dacicus (Matic, 1959) Lithobius dadayi Tömösvary, 1880 Lithobius dahlii Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius degerboelae Eason, 1981 or 1986 Lithobius demavendicus Matic, 1969 Lithobius depressus Fanzago, 1880 Lithobius diana Verhoeff, 1901 Lithobius dieuzeidei Brölemann, 1931 Lithobius discolor Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius doderoi Silvestri, 1908 Lithobius dolinophilus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius dollfusi Verhoeff, 1931 Lithobius domogledicus (Matic, 1961) Lithobius doriae Pocock, 1890 Lithobius drescoi Demange, 1958 Lithobius dudichi Loksa, 1947 Lithobius easoni Matic, 1969 Lithobius elbanus Verhoeff, 1931 Lithobius elbursensis Matic, 1969 Lithobius electrinus (Verhoeff, 1937) Lithobius electron Verhoeff, 1928 Lithobius electus Silvestri, 1935 Lithobius elegans Selivanov, 1931 Lithobius enghofi Eason, 1986 Lithobius ercijasius Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius erdschiasius Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius errantus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius erythrocephalus C.L.Koch, 1847 Lithobius eucuemis Stuxberg Lithobius evae Dobroruka, 1958 Lithobius evasus (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius excellens Silvestri, 1894 Lithobius exiguus Meinert, 1886 Lithobius eximius Meinert, 1872 Lithobius falteronensis Manfredi, 1936 Lithobius fangensis Eason, 1986 Lithobius fanzagoi Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius feae Lithobius femorosulcatus Eason, 1986 Lithobius festivus Koch, 1862 Lithobius finitimus Fanzago, 1878 Lithobius flavus Meinert, 1872 Lithobius forficatus (Linnaeus , 1758 ) Lithobius fossor Koch, 1862 Lithobius franzi Attems, 1949 Lithobius galatheae Meinert, 1886 Lithobius geyeri Verhoeff, 1935 Lithobius glabratus Koch, 1847 Lithobius glacialis Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius gracilipes Meinert, 1872 Lithobius gracilis Meinert, 1872 Lithobius grandiporosus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius granulatus Koch, 1862 Lithobius gridellii Manfredi, 1955 Lithobius grossidens Meinert, 1872 Lithobius grossipes Koch, 1847 Lithobius haarlovi Eason, 1986 Lithobius hardwickei Newport, 1844 Lithobius hatayensis Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius hawaiiensis Silvestri, 1904 Lithobius helvolus Attems, 1951 Lithobius herzegowinensis Verhoeff, 1900 Lithobius hispanicus Meinert, 1872 Lithobius hopanus (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius hortensis Koch, 1862 Lithobius hummelii Verhoeff, 1933 Lithobius ilgazensis Matic, 1983 Lithobius immutabilis Koch, 1862 Lithobius imperialis Meinert, 1872 Lithobius inaequidens Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius incertus Matic, 1966 Lithobius indicus Eason, 1981 Lithobius inexpectatus Matic, 1962 Lithobius infossus Silvestri, 1894 Lithobius inopinatus Matic, 1970 Lithobius inquirendus Attems, 1951 Lithobius insignis Meinert, 1872 Lithobius ionicus (Silvestri, 1896) Lithobius iranicus Attems, 1951 Lithobius italicus Matic, 1957 Lithobius javanicus Pocock, 1894 Lithobius kansuanus Verhoeff, 1933 Lithobius karamani Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius kastamouensis Matic, 1983 Lithobius koenigi Verhoeff, 1891 Lithobius koreanus Verhoeff, 1938 Lithobius kosswigi Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius kurdistanus Verhoeff, 1944 Lithobius laccatus Attems, 1951 Lithobius laevilabrum Leach, 1815 Lithobius lagrecai Matic, 1962 Lithobius lanzai Matic, 1961 Lithobius lapadensis Verhoeff, 1900 Lithobius latebricola Meinert, 1872 Lithobius latzellii Meinert Lithobius lindbergi Chamberlin, 1956 Lithobius litoralis Koch, 1867 Lithobius lobifer (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius loeiensis Eason, 1986 Lithobius lorioli Demange, 1962 Lithobius lubricus Koch, 1862 Lithobius lundii Meinert, 1886 Lithobius luteus Loksa, 1947 Lithobius macrocentrus Attems, 1949 Lithobius magnus (Trotzina, 1894) Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka, 1971 Lithobius malaccanus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius malayicus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius marginatus Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius martensi Eason, 1989 Lithobius matici Prunescu, 1966 Lithobius matulicii Verhoeff, 1899 Lithobius maximovici Folkmanova, 1946 Lithobius mediolus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius megalaporus (Stuxberg, 1875) Lithobius meifengensis Chao, Lee, Chang, 2018 Lithobius melanocephalus Koch, 1863 Lithobius memorabilis Attems, 1951 Lithobius meridionalis Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius micropodus Matic, 1983 Lithobius microps Meinert, 1868 Lithobius minellii Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius minimus Koch, 1862 Lithobius minutus Koch, 1847 Lithobius moananus (Chamberlin, 1926) Lithobius moellensis Verhoeff, 1940 Lithobius molleri Verhoeff, 1893 Lithobius molophai Restivo de Miranda, 1978 Lithobius mongolicus Verhoeff, 1933 Lithobius montellicus Fanzago, 1874 Lithobius mordax Koch, 1862 Lithobius multidentatus Newport Lithobius muscorum Koch, 1862 Lithobius nigrocullis Folkmanova, 1928 Lithobius nocellensis Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius nodulipes Latzel, 1880 Lithobius nudicornis Gervais, 1837 Lithobius oblongus Sseliwanoff, 1881 Lithobius obscurus Meinert, 1872 Lithobius occultus Silvestri, 1894 Lithobius ocraceus Fedrizzi, 1878 Lithobius octops Menge, 1851 Lithobius oellatus Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius oligoporus Latzel, 1885 Lithobius oraniensis Matic, 1967 Lithobius orientis (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius orotavae Latzel, 1895 Lithobius pachypus Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius paghmanensis Eason, 1986 Lithobius paidamus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius palmarum Verhoeff, 1934 Lithobius palnis (Eason, 1973) Lithobius palustris Selivanov, 1878 Lithobius pantokratoris Attems, 1903 Lithobius paradisiacus Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius parisiensis Koch, 1862 Lithobius parvicornis (Porat, 1893) Lithobius parvolus Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius patriarchalis (Berlese, 1894) Lithobius paurus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius pedemontanus Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius peggauensis Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius peregrinus Latzel, 1880 Lithobius persicus Pocock, 1899 Lithobius piceiavus Verhoeff, 1901 Lithobius pilatoi Matic, 1968 Lithobius pleonops Menge, 1851 Lithobius plesius (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius plumbeus Manfredi, 1948 Lithobius politicus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius polyodontus Attems, 1951 Lithobius ponzianus Matic & Darabantu, 1969 Lithobius portchinski Sseliwanoff, 1881 Lithobius postspoliatus Verhoeff, 1942 Lithobius potanini Selivanov, 1881 Lithobius pseudoagilis Dobroruka, 1965 Lithobius pubescens Koch, 1867 Lithobius pulcher Meinert, 1872 Lithobius purkynei Dobroruka, 1957 Lithobius purpureus Chamberlin, 1901 Lithobius pustulatus Matic, 1964 Lithobius pygmaeus Latzel, 1880 Lithobius quadridentatus Menge, 1851 Lithobius rapax Meinert, 1872 Lithobius radjai Étienne Iorio & Ivan Kos, 2021 Lithobius rapitus Chamberlin, 1952 Lithobius reiseri Verhoeff, 1900 Lithobius remyi Jawlowski, 1923 Lithobius rhaeticus Meinert, 1872 Lithobius rhiknus Attems, 1951 Lithobius riggioi Matic, 1968 Lithobius rilaicus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius ruffoi Matic, 1966 Lithobius rupivagus Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius saalachiensis Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius salernitanus Manfredi, 1956 Lithobius salicis Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius sardous Silvestri, 1897 Lithobius sbordonii Matic, 1967 Lithobius scabrior Chamberlin, 1920 Lithobius schawalleri Eason, 1989 Lithobius scotophilus Latzel, 1887 Lithobius sculpturatus (Pocock, 1901) Lithobius scutigeroides Verhoeff, 1892 Lithobius semperi Haase, 1887 Lithobius separatus Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius serbicus Matic, 1979 Lithobius sibillinicus Matic, 1966 Lithobius sibiricus (Gerstfeldt, 1858) Lithobius sicheli Matic, 1986 Lithobius silvivagus Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius simrothi Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius sitianus Chamberlin, 1956 Lithobius sloanei Koch, 1862 Lithobius socius Chamberlin, 1901 Lithobius songi Pei et al., 2011 [ 5] Lithobius sordidus Koch, 1862 Lithobius speluncarum Fanzago, 1877 Lithobius sphinx (Verhoeff, 1941) Lithobius stammeri Verhoeff, 1939 Lithobius subtilis Latzel, 1880 Lithobius suevicus Meinert, 1863 Lithobius sulcatus Koch, 1862 Lithobius sumatranus Silvestri, 1895 Lithobius svenhedini Verhoeff, 1933 Lithobius tahirensis Matic, 1983 Lithobius targionii Fanzago, 1874 Lithobius tatricus Dobroruka, 1958 Lithobius tauricus Selivanov, 1878 Lithobius temnensis Verhoeff, 1943 Lithobius tenuicornis Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius tenuinguis Eason, 1980 Lithobius tetraspinus Pei, Lu, Liu, Hou, Ma, 2018 Lithobius terreus Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius thetidis Karsch, 1880 Lithobius tibiosetosus Eason, 1986 Lithobius tibiotenuis Eason, 1989 Lithobius tidissimus (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius tiphlus (Latzel, 1886) Lithobius transmarinus Koch, 1862 Lithobius trebinjanus (Verhoeff, 1900) Lithobius tricuspis Meinert, 1872 Lithobius trilineatus Koch, 1862 Lithobius trinacrius Verhoeff, 1925 Lithobius turritanus Fanzago, 1881 Lithobius tweedii Verhoeff, 1937 Lithobius tylopus Latzel, 1882 Lithobius typhlus Latzel, 1886 Lithobius ulterior (Chamberlin, 1952) Lithobius uludagensis Matic, 1983 Lithobius variegatus Leach, 1814 Lithobius varioporus Pei et al., 2020 [ 6] Lithobius varius Koch, 1863 Lithobius velox Koch, 1862 Lithobius venator Koch, 1862 Lithobius veronensis Matic & Darabantu, 1971 Lithobius viduus Attems Lithobius vinciguerrae Silvestri, 1895 Lithobius vindelicius Verhoeff, 1935 Lithobius vinosus (Fanzago, 1874) Lithobius violaceus Fedrizzi, 1877 Lithobius visicae Ribarov, 1987 Lithobius vorax Meinert, 1872 Lithobius vosseleri Verhoeff Lithobius vulgaris Leach, 1817 Lithobius walachius Verhoeff, 1901 Lithobius weberi Pocock, 1894 Lithobius werneri Attems, 1902 Lithobius zachii Restivo de Miranda, 1978 Lithobius zeylanus (Chamberlin, 1952) References 1 2 3 4 Ralph E. Crabill, Jr. (1955). "Proposed use of the plenary powers to designate for the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758, (Class Myriapoda) a type species in harmony with accustomed usage" . Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . 11 : 134– 136. doi : 10.5962/bhl.part.2832 . 1 2 "The Class Myriapoda" . The Invertebrata (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press . 1961. pp. 420– 426. ↑ John George Wood (1863). "Myriapoda" . The Illustrated Natural History . George Routledge and Sons . pp. 688– 698. 1 2 Mikko Haaramo (December 30, 2004). "Lithobiidae: Lithobiinae: genus Lithobius " . Mikko's Phylogeny Archive . Retrieved February 18, 2011 . ↑ Pei, S., Ma, H., Shi, B., Wu, D., & Zhou, W. "A new species of Lithobius (Monotarsobius ) Verhoeff, 1905 (Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae) from China." ZooKeys 82 (23 Feb 2011): 59-66. ↑ Pei, Sujian; Ma, Huiqin; Liu, Haipeng; Lu, Yanmin; Hou, Xiaojie (2020). "Lithobius (Ezembius) varioporus, a new species from eastern China (Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)" . ZooKeys (931): 35– 48. doi : 10.3897/zookeys.931.47305 . PMC 7205835 . External links Media related to Lithobius at Wikimedia Commons
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