| Mecistocephalus heteropus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Chilopoda |
| Order: | Geophilomorpha |
| Family: | Mecistocephalidae |
| Genus: | Mecistocephalus |
| Species: | M. heteropus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mecistocephalus heteropus Humbert, 1865 | |
Mecistocephalus heteropus is a species of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. [1] [2] This species has 49 pairs of legs. [3] [4]
The Geophilomorpha, commonly known as soil centipedes, are epimorphic and bear upwards of 27 leg-bearing segments. They are eyeless and blind, and bear spiracles on all leg-bearing segments—in contrast to other groups, which usually bear them only on their 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 12th, and 14th segments—a "mid-body break", accompanied by a change in tagmatic shape, occurring roughly at the interchange from odd to even segments. This group is the most diverse centipede order, with 230 genera. Centipedes in this order each have an odd number of leg-bearing segments ranging from 27 to 191. They also have 14–segmented antennae. This order is a monophyletic group including two suborders: the monophyletic Placodesmata, which contains Mecistocephalidae, and Adesmata, which includes the superfamilies Himantarioidea and Geophiloidea. Segment number is usually fixed by species in the family Mecistocephalidae, unlike the case in other families in this order, in which the segment number usually varies within each species. The name "Geophilomorpha" is from Ancient Greek roots meaning "formed to love the earth."
Mecistocephalus subinsularis is a species of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. This species has 49 pairs of legs.
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.
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 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.
Agnostrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia. These centipedes range from 2 cm to 3 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments.
Anarrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia as far as Indonesia. These centipedes range from 6 cm to 8 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments.
Mecistocephalus is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae. It was described by British entomologist George Newport in 1843.
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.
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 furculigera 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 tahitiensis is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1862 by American myriapodologist Horatio Wood.
Mecistocephalus ongi is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1934 by Japanese myriapodologist Yosioki Takakuwa.
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 centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1862 by American biologist Horatio Curtis Wood. This species is dark yellow-brown, has 45 pairs of leg, and can reach 70 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus uncifer is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 65 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus modestus is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by the Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 35 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus subgigas is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1919 by Italian myriapodologist Filippo Silvestri. This species has 49 pairs of legs and can reach 60 mm in length.
Mecistocephalus gigas is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1887 by German entomologist Erich Haase. This species has 51 pairs of legs and can reach 105 mm in length.
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.
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