Mecistocephalus japonicus

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Mecistocephalus japonicus
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. japonicus
Binomial name
Mecistocephalus japonicus
Meinert, 1886
Synonyms
  • Mecistocephalus mirandusPocock, 1895
  • Mecistocephalus fenestratusVerhoeff, 1934

Mecistocephalus japonicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. [1] [2] This centipede is notable for featuring 63 or 65 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus . [3] [4] This centipede is one of only a few species in the genus Mecistocephalus or in the family Mecistocephalidae with more than 55 leg pairs. [5] [6] This centipede is also one of only a few species in this family to exhibit any variation in leg number among specimens. [7] [8] This species is found from the island of Honshu in Japan to Taiwan. [3]

Contents

Discovery and taxonomy

This species was first described in 1886 by the Danish zoologist Frederik V.A. Meinert. [9] He based the original description of this species on a female holotype with 63 pairs of legs found on the island of Kyushu in Japan. [3] [9] The type material is deposited in the Zoological Museum of University of Copenhagen in Denmark. [3]

In 1895, the British zoologist Reginald I. Pocock described M. mirandus as a new species with 65 pairs of legs. He based the original description of this species on two specimens (one male and one female). [10] These syntypes were found in Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan and are deposited in the Natural History Museum in London. [3]

In 1934, the German zoologist Karl W. Verhoeff described M. fenestratus as a new species with 63 pairs of legs. He based the original description of this species on a single male specimen. This specimen was found near Tokyo on the island of Honshu in Japan. [11] [3]

Until 2007, authorities considered M. japonicus, M. mirandus, and M. fenestratus to be three separate species, distinguishing M. mirandus from M. japonicus based on leg number and the presumed absence of variation in leg number within species in the family Mecistocephalidae. [3] 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. [12] The Italian biologists Marco Uliana, Lucio Bonato, and Alessandro Minelli examined four adult specimens (two males and two females) with 65 leg pairs, including the M. mirandus syntypes, and twelve specimens with 63 leg pairs, including both sexes. After a review of the literature, Uliana, Bonato, and Minelli found no consistent difference between M. fenestratus and M. japonicus and no basis for distinguishing M. mirandus from M. japonicus other than leg number. Noting the overlapping geographic distributions of these species, Uliana, Bonato, and Minelli concluded in 2007 that both M. fenestratus and M. mirandus are junior synonyms of M. japonicus. [3] Authorities now deem these two names to be synonyms for M. japonicus, [2] but some continue to list these two as valid species. [13] [14]

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 63 leg pairs have been recorded throughout this range. Specimens with 65 leg pairs have been recorded from Shikoku, the Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan. [3]

Phylogeny

A phylogenetic analysis of the family Mecistocephalidae based on morphology places the species M. japonicus in a clade with the species M. diversisternus . [15] Similarly, a phylogenetic analysis of ten Mecistocephalus species based on molecular data identifies M. diversisternus as the closest relative of M. japonicus in a phylogenetic tree. [16] The species M. diversisternus features 57 or 59 pairs of legs and is also found from Honshu to Taiwan, including Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands. [3]

Description

This species can have either 63 or 65 pairs of legs in each sex. The adults range from about 7 cm to 17 cm in length. The body is yellow without dark patches, but the forcipular segment and the head are darker. The head is 1.8 to 2.2 times longer than wide, and the antennae are 3.8 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 1.9 to 2.2 times wider than long and features 20 to 30 setae scattered on each side. Each of the second maxillae features an apical claw. The exposed part of the forcipular sternum is 1.3 to 1.5 times wider than long. The first article of the forcipules each feature two teeth, the second and third articles each feature a single tubercle, and the ultimate article is almost smooth or features two tubercles, one dorsal relative to the other. The sternites feature a furrow without bifurcation. The ventral sides of the ultimate legs feature dense short setae in males and often some short setae in females, but these legs lack an apical spine. [3] [17]

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. [3] [18] [4]

This species shares an especially extensive set of traits with its closest relative, M. diversisternus. 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. diversisternus not only features fewer legs (57 or 59 pairs) than M. japonicus but also is much smaller, with adults that range from 2.5 cm to 5.5 cm in length. Furthermore, the side of the clypeus in M. japonicus features 20 to 30 setae where M. diversisternus features only three or four. Moreover, the clypeus in M. japonicus is wider relative to its length than in M. diversisternus, which has a width/length ratio that ranges from 1.6 to 1.9. [3]

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.

Arrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia as far as Japan. Centipedes in this genus feature small telopodites on the second maxillae, the head and forcipular segment are elongate, the clypeus is almost completely areolate, and the poison glands in adult males are often deep inside the forcipules. These centipedes range from 1 cm to 5 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments. Most are soil-dwellers but Arrup akiyoshiensis is a troglobiont.

Tuoba is a genus of 17 species of centipedes, in the family Geophilidae. This genus was described by American biologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1920. These centipedes are found in coastal regions and islands in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.

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 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 waikaneus is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1953 by American myriapodologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin. This species is yellow, has 49 pairs of legs, and can reach 30 mm in length.

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 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 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.

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 diversisternus is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is notable for featuring 57 or 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 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 japonicus Meinert, 1886". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  2. 1 2 "ITIS - Report: Mecistocephalus japonicus". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Uliana, Marco; Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro (2007-01-22). "The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)". Zootaxa. 1396 (1): 1–84 [5, 30, 56–62]. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1396.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334.
  4. 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.
  5. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro (2010). "The geophilomorph centipedes of the Seychelles (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)" (PDF). Phelsuma. 18: 9–38 [25].
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. 1 2 Meinert, Frederik Vilhelm August (1886). "Myriapoda Musæi Hauniensis: III. Chilopoda". Saertryk af Videnskabelige Meddelser fra den Naturhistoriske Forening j Kjobenhavn (in Latin). 36–38 (1884): 100-150 [142-143].
  10. ↑ Pocock, R. I. (1895). "Report upon the Chilopoda and Diplopoda obtained by P. W. Bassett-Smith Esq. Surgeon R. N. and J. J. Walker Esq. R. N. during the cruise in the Chinese seas of H. M. S. "Penguin" Commander W. U. Moore commanding". The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology. 15: 346–372 [352] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  11. ↑ Verhoeff, Karl W. (1934). "Beiträge zur Systematik und Geographie der Chilopoden". Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik (in German). 66: 1–112 [35–36].
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ 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 mirandus Pocock, 1895". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  14. ↑ 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 fenestratus Verhoeff, 1934". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 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]. ISBN   978-90-04-18826-6. OCLC   812207443.
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