Mecistocephalus diversisternus

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Mecistocephalus diversisternus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Geophilomorpha
Family: Mecistocephalidae
Genus: Mecistocephalus
Species:
M. diversisternus
Binomial name
Mecistocephalus diversisternus
(Silvestri, 1919)
Synonyms
  • Lamnonyx diversisternusSilvestri, 1919
  • Mecistocephalus takakuwaiVerhoeff, 1934

Mecistocephalus diversisternus is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. [1] This centipede is notable for featuring 57 or 59 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus . [2] [3] This centipede is one of only a few species in the genus Mecistocephalus or in the family Mecistocephalidae with more than 55 leg pairs. [4] [5] This centipede is also one of only a few species in this family to exhibit any variation in leg number among specimens. [6] [7] This species is found from the island of Honshu in Japan to Taiwan. [2]

Contents

Discovery and taxonomy

This species was first described under the name Lamnonyx diversisternus in 1919 by the Italian zoologist Filippo Silvestri based on a male holotype with 57 pairs of legs, which he collected on the island of Honshu in Japan. [8] [9] The type material is deposited in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria in Genoa, Italy. [9] In 1920, the American biologist Ralph V. Chamberlain placed this species in the genus Mecistocephalus. [10] Authorities now consider Lamnonyx to be a junior synonym of Mecistocephalus. [11]

In 1934, the German zoologist Karl W. Verhoeff described Mecistocephalus takakuwai as a new species with 59 pairs of legs. [12] He based the original description of this centipede on ten specimens including both sexes. [12] These specimens were collected near Tokyo on the island of Honshu in Japan. [12] [9]

Until 2007, authorities considered M. diversisternus and M. takakuwai to be different species with different numbers of legs, largely based on the presumed absence of variation in leg number within species in the family Mecistocephalidae. [9] The discovery in 2001 of variation in leg number in the species M. microporus , however, prompted a critical evaluation of the diagnostic value of leg number in this family. [13] The Italian biologists Marco Uliana, Lucio Bonato, and Alessandro Minelli examined 37 specimens, including a female with 57 leg pairs and specimens of both sexes with 59 leg pairs, and after a review of the literature, found no basis for distinguishing M. diversisternus and M. takakuwai other than leg number. Noting the overlapping geographic distributions of these two nominal species, Uliana, Bonato, and Minelli concluded in 2007 that these centipedes belong to the same species. [9] Authorities now deem M. takakuwai to be a junior synonym of M. diversisternus, [14] but some continue to list M. takakuwai as a valid species. [15]

Distribution

This species has been found in not only on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan but also in Taiwan. Specimens with 59 leg pairs have been recorded throughout this range. Specimens with 57 leg pairs have been recorded from Honshu, the Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan. [9]

Phylogeny

A phylogenetic analysis of the family Mecistocephalidae based on morphology places the species M. diversisternus in a clade with the species M. japonicus . [16] Similarly, a phylogenetic analysis of ten Mecistocephalus species based on molecular data identifies M. japonicus as the closest relative of M. diversisternus in a phylogenetic tree. [17] The species M. japonicus features 63 or 65 pairs of legs and is also found from Honshu to Taiwan, including Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands. [9]

Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular evidence not only places the species M. diversisternus and M. japonicus together in a clade but also places the species M. smithii in a sister group for this clade. The species M. smithii is found in mainland China and features 59 pairs of legs. [17] The closely related M. smithii is similar enough to M. diversisternus for specimens of M. diversisternus found in Japan and Taiwan to be mistakenly identified as specimens of M. smithii. [9]

Description

This species can have either 57 or 59 pairs of legs in each sex. The adults range from 2.5 cm to 5.5 cm in length. The body is orange without dark patches, but the forcipular segment and the head are darker. The head is 1.7 to 2.0 times longer than wide, and the antennae are 4.2 to 5.0 times as long as the head is wide. The pleurites on the sides of the head feature spicula but lack setae. The clypeus is 1.6 to 1.9 times wider than long and features three or four setae on each side, sometimes with other short setae on the larger specimens. Each of the second maxillae features an apical claw. The exposed part of the forcipular sternum is 1.1 to 1.4 times wider than long. The first article of the forcipules each feature a basal tooth about as large as the distal tooth, the second and third articles each feature a single tooth, and the ultimate article features two small basal teeth, one dorsal relative to the other. The sternites feature a furrow without apparent bifurcation. The ventral sides of the ultimate legs feature dense short setae in each sex, but these legs lack an apical spine. [9] [18]

This species exhibits many traits shared with other Mecistocephalus species. For example, like other centipedes in the same genus, this species features an elongated head with spicula and second maxillae ending in claws. Furthermore, the first article of the forcipule features two teeth, one distal relative to the other. [9] [2] [3]

This species shares an especially extensive set of traits with its closest relative, M. japonicus. For example, both species feature trunks without dark patches and cephalic pleurites without setae. Furthermore, both species feature a furrow on their sternites that is not forked. These close relatives, however, can be distinguished based on other traits. For example, M. japonicus not only features more legs (63 or 65 pairs) than M. diversisternus but also is much larger, with adults that range from 7 cm to 17 cm in length. Furthermore, the side of the clypeus in M. japonicus features 20 to 30 setae where M. diversisternus features only a few. Moreover, the clypeus in M. japonicus is wider relative to its length, with a width/length ratio that ranges from 1.9 to 2.2, greater than that observed in M. diversisternus. [9]

The species M. diversisternus also resembles its close relative M. smithii. For example, both of these species include specimens with 59 leg pairs, and the cephalic pleurites in both species lack setae. These two species can be distinguished, however, based on other traits. For example, the side of the clypeus in M. smithii features 20 to 22 setae where M. diversisternus features only a few. Furthermore, the furrow on the sternites on the anterior leg-bearing segments in M. smithii is forked with short branches, whereas the sternal furrow in M. diversisternus is not forked. Moreover, M. smithii is also larger, ranging from 7.4 cm to 8.8 cm in length. [9] [17]

Related Research Articles

Nannarrup is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae; this genus includes a single species, Nannarrup hoffmani, also known as Hoffman's dwarf centipede. This centipede was discovered in Central Park in New York City and was the first new species to be discovered in that park in more than a century. This species is the smallest species in the family Mecistocephalidae, reaching only 10.3 mm in length, and has only 41 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in this family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mecistocephalidae</span> Family of centipedes

Mecistocephalidae is a monophyletic family of centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha. It is the only family in the suborder Placodesmata. Most species in this family live in tropical or subtropical regions, but some occur in temperate regions. This family is the third most diverse in the order Geophiliomorpha, with about 170 species, including about 130 species in the genus Mecistocephalus.

<i>Tygarrup</i> Genus of Mecistocephalidae centipedes

Tygarrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, found mainly in southeast Asia and from the Seychelles to Hawaii. Although species in this genus can have either 43 or 45 leg-bearing segments, most of these species have 45 leg pairs. An undescribed Tygarrup species found in the Andaman Islands has 43 leg pairs. Centipedes in this genus are sometimes melanised in patches, and sternal glands are present the males of most species. These centipedes range from 2 cm to 6 cm in length. Tygarrup javanicus is one of the smallest of the mecistocephalid species and has become an invasive in greenhouses in Europe.

Anarrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia as far as Indonesia. Centipedes in this genus feature a clypeus with areolation and setae limited to a short anterior marginal band; the second maxillae have swollen and densely setose telopodites and a coxosternite divided mid-longitudinally. These centipedes range from 6 cm to 8 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments.

Mecistocephalus is the largest genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, with about 140 species. This genus is among the most diverse and widespread of all the genera in the order Geophilomorpha. The British entomologist George Newport first proposed this genus in 1843 to contain a group of centipedes marked by an unusual elongation of the head.

Mecistocephalus mater is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It is endemic to Australia, and was first described in 1925 by German myriapodologist Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff.

Mecistocephalus brevisternalis is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1934 by Japanese myriapodologist Yosioki Takakuwa.

Mecistocephalus spissus is a species of soil centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. The American biologist Horatio Curtis Wood first described this species in 1862 based on type material found in Kauai or Oahu in Hawaii. This centipede has only 45 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in the genus Mecistocephalus. This species was the first in this genus to be discovered with such a modest number of legs.

Mecistocephalus gigas is a species of soil centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. This genus was described in 1887 by German entomologist Erich Haase. This centipede features 51 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus.

Mecistocephalus glabridorsalis is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1900 by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems. This species has 49 pairs of legs, can reach 85 mm in length, and is yellow with anterior segments and a head that are reddish brown.

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.

Mecistocephalus angusticeps is species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is found in Kenya, Seychelles, and the Chagos Archipelago. This species features only 47 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus.

Krateraspis is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae. Centipedes in this genus are found in Central Asia. This genus contains only two species, K. meinerti, with 45 pairs of legs, and K. sselivanovi, with 53 leg pairs. The species K. sselivanovi is notable for featuring 53 leg pairs without any intraspecific variation. This number of legs is rarely observed in the family Mecistocephalidae and also appears to be the maximum number evidently fixed by species in the class Chilopoda.

Mecistocephalus evansi is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is notable for featuring 51 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus. This species was first described by the French myriapodologist Henry W. Brolemann in 1922. He based the original description of this species on a single female specimen found in the Maysan governorate on the Tigris river in Iraq.

Krateraspis sselivanovi is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is found in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This species is notable for featuring 53 leg pairs without any intraspecific variation. This number of legs is rarely observed in the family Mecistocephalidae and also appears to be the maximum number evidently fixed by species in the class Chilopoda.

Escaryus hirsutus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found on Sakhalin island in the Russian Far East. This species was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova.

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.

Mecistocephalus nannocornis is a species of soil centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. This centipede has only 45 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in the genus Mecistocephalus. This centipede was the second species in this genus to be discovered with such a modest number of legs.

Mecistocephalus japonicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is notable for featuring 63 or 65 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus. This centipede is one of only a few species in the genus Mecistocephalus or in the family Mecistocephalidae with more than 55 leg pairs. This centipede is also one of only a few species in this family to exhibit any variation in leg number among specimens. This species is found from the island of Honshu in Japan to Taiwan.

Mecistocephalus smithii is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is notable for featuring 59 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus. This centipede is one of only a few species in the genus Mecistocephalus or in the family Mecistocephalidae with more than 55 leg pairs. This centipede is also notable as the first Mecistocephalus species discovered in China.

References

  1. ↑ Bonato, L.; Chagas Junior, A.; Edgecombe, G.D.; Lewis, J.G.E.; Minelli, A.; Pereira, L.A.; Shelley, R.M.; Stoev, P.; Zapparoli, M. (2016). "Mecistocephalus diversisternus (Silvestri,1919)". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Zapparoli, Marzio (2011). "Chilopoda – Taxonomic overview". In Minelli, Alessandro (ed.). The Myriapoda. Volume 1. Leiden: Brill. pp. 363–443 [432–433]. ISBN   978-90-04-18826-6. OCLC   812207443.
  3. 1 2 Bonato, L.; Minelli, A. (2004). "The centipede genus Mecistocephalus Newport 1843 in the Indian Peninsula (Chilopoda Geophilomorpha Mecistocephalidae)". Tropical Zoology. 17 (1): 15–63 [20, 56]. Bibcode:2004TrZoo..17...15B. doi:10.1080/03946975.2004.10531198. ISSN   0394-6975. S2CID   85304657.
  4. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro (2010). "The geophilomorph centipedes of the Seychelles (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)" (PDF). Phelsuma. 18: 9–38 [25].
  5. ↑ Minelli, Alessandro; Bortoletto, Stefano (1988-04-01). "Myriapod metamerism and arthropod segmentation". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 33 (4): 323–343 [330]. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1988.tb00448.x. ISSN   0024-4066.
  6. ↑ Minelli, Alessandro (2020). "Arthropod Segments and Segmentation – Lessons from Myriapods, and Open Questions" (PDF). Opuscula Zoologica (Budapest). 51 (S2): 7–21 [10]. doi:10.18348/opzool.2020.S2.7. S2CID   226561862.
  7. ↑ Minelli, Alessandro; Chagas-Júnior, Amazonas; Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2009). "Saltational evolution of trunk segment number in centipedes". Evolution & Development. 11 (3): 318–322 [319]. doi:10.1111/j.1525-142X.2009.00334.x. PMID   19469859. S2CID   40909871.
  8. ↑ Silvestri, F. (1919). "Contributions to a knowledge of the Chilopoda Geophilomorpha of India". Records of the Indian Museum (in Latin). 16: 45–107 [81]. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.25916.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Uliana, Marco; Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro (2007-01-22). "The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)". Zootaxa. 1396 (1): 1–84 [30, 56–62, 72]. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1396.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334.
  10. ↑ Chamberlin, Ralph V. (1920). "On chilopods of the family Mecistocephalidae". The Canadian Entomologist. 52 (8): 184–189 [185]. doi:10.4039/Ent52184-8. ISSN   1918-3240.
  11. ↑ Bonato, L.; Chagas Junior, A.; Edgecombe, G.D.; Lewis, J.G.E.; Minelli, A.; Pereira, L.A.; Shelley, R.M.; Stoev, P.; Zapparoli, M. (2016). "Lamnonyx Cook, 1896". ChiloBase 2.0 – A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  12. 1 2 3 Verhoeff, Karl W. (1934). "Beiträge zur Systematik und Geographie der Chilopoden". Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik (in German). 66: 1–112 [36–38].
  13. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Foddai, Donatella; Minelli, Alessandro (2001). "Increase by duplication and loss of invariance of segment number in the centipede Mecistocephalus microporus Haase, 1887 (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Mecistocephalidae)". Italian Journal of Zoology. 68 (4): 345–352. doi:10.1080/11250000109356429. ISSN   1125-0003.
  14. ↑ "ITIS - Report: Mecistocephalus takakuwai". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  15. ↑ Bonato, L.; Chagas Junior, A.; Edgecombe, G.D.; Lewis, J.G.E.; Minelli, A.; Pereira, L.A.; Shelley, R.M.; Stoev, P.; Zapparoli, M. (2016). "Mecistocephalus takakuwai Verhoeff, 1934". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  16. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Foddai, Donatella; Minelli, Alessandro (2003). "Evolutionary trends and patterns in centipede segment number based on a cladistic analysis of Mecistocephalidae (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)". Systematic Entomology. 28 (4): 539–579 [545–547]. Bibcode:2003SysEn..28..539B. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3113.2003.00217.x. ISSN   0307-6970.
  17. 1 2 3 Pan, Yang-Yang; Fan, Jia-Bo; You, Chun-Xue; Jiang, Chao (2024-11-13). "Identification of two new species of Mecistocephalus (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Mecistocephalidae) from southern China and the re-description of Mecistocephalus smithii Pocock, 1895". ZooKeys (1218): 1–23 [6, 14-19]. Bibcode:2024ZooK.1218....1P. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1218.130709 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   11579650 . PMID   39583617.
  18. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory; Lewis, John; Minelli, Alessandro; Pereira, Luis; Shelley, Rowland; Zapparoli, Marzio (2010-11-18). "A common terminology for the external anatomy of centipedes (Chilopoda)". ZooKeys (69): 17–51. Bibcode:2010ZooK...69...17B. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.69.737 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   3088443 . PMID   21594038.
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