Mecistocephalus evansi

Last updated

Mecistocephalus evansi
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. evansi
Binomial name
Mecistocephalus evansi
Brolemann, 1922

Mecistocephalus evansi is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. [1] This centipede is notable for featuring 51 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus . [2] [3] This species was first described by the French myriapodologist Henry W. Brolemann in 1922. [2] He based the original description of this species on a single female specimen found in the Maysan governorate (formerly Amara province) on the Tigris river in Iraq. [4] [2]

Contents

Distribution and habitats

Since the discovery of the first M. evansi specimen in the Maysan governorate in Iraq, this species has been found in other locations in Iraq, Iran, and Israel. [4] Several specimens have been recorded in Israel, mostly from Mediterranean regions of the Galilee, at higher elevations with lower temperatures and more precipitation. The Israeli specimens include those found in Mount Meron and Gush Halav as well as one found in Be’er Sheva in the Negev desert that may be the result of an anthropogenic transfer. [5] This species has also been found in Gakal Cave in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of Iran, indicating that M. evansi is a troglophile, living in subterranean habitats as well as at the surface. [6] [7] Finally, more Iraqi specimens have been found in the Basrah governorate, including specimens from the Al-Hartha and Shatt Al-Arab districts. [4] [8] Specimens collected from the Basrah governorate include five males and six females found in 2022 on wet agricultural land, in the soil under palm trees, on the left bank of the Shatt Al-Arab river and in the Al-Hartha district. [4]

Description

This species has 51 pairs of legs and can reach 38 mm in length. [2] [9] The head is shaped like a rectangle and at least twice as long as wide. [2] [9] The dorsal cephalic plate nearly covers the forcipules. [8] The forcipular coxosternite has no chitin-lines and is more than 1.2 times longer than wide. The first article of the forcipule has a distinct intermediate denticle as well as a distal denticle. The ultimate article of the forcipule lacks a distinct basal denticle. [5] [10]

The body is uniform in width for the first four-fifths of its length, then tapers gradually from about the 40th segment to the last segment. The sternites on the anterior part of the trunk, from the second sternite to about the 23rd sternite, feature a distinct median groove that divides into two short branches at the anterior end. A shallow longitudinal impression replaces this groove on the sternites on the posterior part of the trunk. [2] There are no clusters of pores on the ventral surface of the trunk. The posterior end of the last leg-bearing segment has a subtriangular ventral sclerite with a distinctly rounded posterior margin. The ultimate legs have no pretarsus. In adults, the ventral side of the basal element of each ultimate leg has more than twelve scattered pores. [5] [10]

This species shares many traits with other centipedes in the genus Mecistocephalus. For example, like other species in this genus, M. evansi features a head that is evidently longer than wide and a body that tapers towards the posterior end. Furthermore, the coxosternite of the first maxillae is divided. Unlike most other species of Mecistocephalus, however, M. evansi features 51 leg pairs rather than the 49 pairs usually observed in this genus. [2] [3]

Although some other species of Mecistocephalus also have 51 leg pairs, these species may be distinguished from M. evansi based on other traits. For example, like the species M. evansi, the species M. erythroceps features not only 51 leg pairs but also a bifurcated median groove on the sternites. This bifurcation is faint in M. erythroceps, however, and thus less distinct and more obscure than in M. evansi. [9] [11]

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.

Geophilus arenarius is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in Algeria. As part of the carpophagus species-complex, this species is closely related to both G. carpophagus and G. easoni.

<i>Ribautia</i> Genus of centipedes

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.

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 lifuensis is a species of soil centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. This species was first described in 1898 by zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock based on type material found on is Lifou Island in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in Melanesia. This centipede is notable for featuring 51 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus.

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.

Schendyla antici is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This species is notable as one of only six species in the order Geophilomorpha to feature centipedes with only 29 pairs of legs, which is also the minimum number recorded in the genus Schendyla. No other species in this genus features so few legs.

Mecophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the subfamily Aphilodontinae, a clade formerly known as the family Aphilodontidae but now deemed a subfamily within the family Geophilidae. The species in this genus are among the smallest centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha, reaching only 8 mm in length. This genus is also notable for featuring the fewest legs in the subfamily Aphilodontinae. The species in this genus are found in the Atlantic Forest in south and southeastern Brazil.

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.

Dinogeophilus oligopodus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 mm in length, the smallest size recorded not only in the order Geophilomorpha but also in any epimorphic order of centipedes. This species is also notable as one of only six species in the order Geophilomorpha to feature only 29 pairs of legs and one of only two species to include females with only 29 pairs, the minimum number recorded for females in this order.

Mecophilus tupiniquim is a species of soil centipede in the subfamily Aphilodontinae, a clade formerly known as the family Aphilodontidae but now deemed a subfamily within the family Geophilidae. This centipede is notable for its small size and modest number of legs. This species is found in Brazil.

Escaryus molodovae is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found on Sakhalin island in the Russian Far East. This species is notable for its small size, reaching only 14 mm in length.

Escaryus polygonatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Maritime territory of the Russian Far East. This species was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova.

Escaryus vitimicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Republic of Buryatia in the Russian Far East. This species features 37 pairs of legs in each sex and can reach 27 mm in length.

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.

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 dentatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Maritime territory of 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.

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 evansi Brölemann, 1922". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Evans, W. Edgar; Brolemann, Henry W. (1923). "VI.—Myriapods collected in Mesopotamia and N.W. Persia". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 42: 54–74 [55–56]. doi:10.1017/S0370164600023841. ISSN   0370-1646.
  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. 1 2 3 4 Dyachkov, Yurii V.; Al-Yacoub, Ghassan A. Ali; Al-Khazali, Azhar M. Mohammed (2023-06-29). "A preliminary annotated checklist of Chilopoda from Iraq". Ecologica Montenegrina. 63: 59–78 [64]. doi: 10.37828/em.2023.63.6 . ISSN   2336-9744.
  5. 1 2 3 Chipman, Ariel D.; Dor, Neta; Bonato, Lucio (2013-05-16). "Diversity and biogeography of Israeli geophilomorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)". Zootaxa. 3652 (2): 232–248. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3652.2.2. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   26269827.
  6. ↑ Malek-Hosseini, Mohammad Javad; Zamani, Alireza (2017-01-16). "A checklist of subterranean arthropods of Iran". Subterranean Biology. 21: 19–46 [28]. doi: 10.3897/subtbiol.21.10573 . ISSN   1314-2615.
  7. ↑ Zarei, Roghaieh; Rahimian, Hassan; Mirmonsef, Hassan; Bonato, Lucio (2020-05-22). "Geophilomorpha from Alborz Mountains and a checklist of Chilopoda from Iran". Zootaxa. 4780 (1): 132–146 [137]. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4780.1.6. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   33055759.
  8. 1 2 Al-Simary, Jabbar Ali; Al-Abbad, Murtatha Yousif; Al-Qarooni, Imad Hadi (2022). "Survey and identification of centipedes (Arthropoda-Chilopoda) from Basrah Province – southern of Iraq" (PDF). Annals of Forest Research. 65 (1): 1568–1583.
  9. 1 2 3 Attems, Carl (1929). Attems, Karl (ed.). Lfg. 52 Myriapoda, 1: Geophilomorpha (in German). De Gruyter. pp. 129, 138. doi:10.1515/9783111430638. ISBN   978-3-11-143063-8.
  10. 1 2 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.
  11. ↑ "The Myriopoda of the Australian region". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 64: 1–209 [58–60]. 1920 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.