Mecistocephalus gracilis

Mecistocephalus gracilis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Myriapoda
Class:	Chilopoda
Order:	Geophilomorpha
Family:	Mecistocephalidae
Genus:	Mecistocephalus
Species:	M. gracilis
Binomial name
Mecistocephalus gracilis (Verhoeff, 1925) [1]
Synonyms
Lamnonyx gracilisVerhoeff, 1925

Mecistocephalus gracilis 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. ^{[1] [2]}

Description

This centipede ranges from 34 mm to 39 mm in length, ^[3] This centipede is pale with an unusually slender body. ^[1] This species features 47 pairs of legs. ^[4]

Distribution

The species occurs in the Kimberley district of far north Western Australia. ^{[5] [1]}

Behaviour

The centipedes are solitary terrestrial predators that inhabit plant litter and soil. ^[5]

References

1. Verhoeff, KW (1925). "Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910-1913. 39. Chilopoda". Arkiv för Zoologi. 17A (3): 1–62 [47].
2. 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). "ChiloBase 2.0". A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Rosario Dioguardi and Giuseppe Cortese, University of Padua. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
3. Attems, Carl (1929). Lfg. 52 Myriapoda, 1: Geophilomorpha (in German). De Gruyter. p. 140. doi:10.1515/9783111430638.
4. Verhoeff, K.W. (1937). "Chilopoden aus Malacca nach den Objecten des Raffles Museum in Singapore". Bulletin of the Raffles Museum (in German). 13: 198-270 [231] – via National University of Singapore.
5. "Species Mecistocephalus gracilis (Verhoeff, 1925)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2023.