Scolopocryptops sexspinosus

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Scolopocryptops sexspinosus
Eastern Red Centipede - Scolopocryptops sexspinosus (50055626578).jpg
Specimen from Georgia, United States on wood surface
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Scolopendromorpha
Family: Scolopocryptopidae
Genus: Scolopocryptops
Species:
S. sexspinosus
Binomial name
Scolopocryptops sexspinosus
Say, 1821
Synonyms [1]
  • Cryptops sexspinosaSay, 1821
  • Otocryptops punctatusPocock, 1891
  • Scolopocryptops georgicusMeinert, 1886
  • Scolopocryptops punctatusPocock, 1891

Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, the eastern red centipede, is a species of centipede in the family Scolopocryptopidae. It is found in North America. [1] [2] [3] It is the only scolopendromorph definitively found in Canada. Canadian specimens appear to be most abundant in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. [4] It is widespread across eastern North America from far southern Canada to the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast, and prefers hiding under rotting wood or leaf litter (see picture); it is thus difficult to find. [5]

Contents

Morphology and diet

The posterior (left, with ultimate legs), and the fangs (right) of Scolopocryptops sexspinosus Wood 1865 Myriapoda of North America 12-13.png
The posterior (left, with ultimate legs), and the fangs (right) of Scolopocryptops sexspinosus

The eastern red centipede has 23 pairs of legs, and is reddish-orange, although south-eastern individuals are browner. This species of centipede does not have ocelli, and is thus blind. [5] [4] Grooves on the dorsal plates are incomplete, according to field work, and the first antenna segment (an antennomere) is less hirsute (hairy) than the second or more distant segments. [4] In Virginia, specimens can attain a length of 6.5 cm. This centipede can deliver a painful bite if handled; they feed on spiders, insects, earthworms, and even smaller centipedes. Adults are active throughout the year. [5] The eastern red centipede is capable of thermoregulating and maintaining performance across a broad range of temperatures. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Scolopocryptops sexspinosus Say, 1821". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  2. "Scolopocryptops sexspinosus species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  3. Shelley, R. M. "The myriapods, the world's leggiest animals". University of Tennessee. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  4. 1 2 3 Shelley, Rowland M. (1992). "Distribution of the centipede Scolopocryptops sexspinosus (Say) in Alaska and Canada (Scolopendromorpha: Cryptopidae)". Insecta Mundi. 6 (1).
  5. 1 2 3 Virginia Natural History Society.; Society, Virginia Natural History (2012). Banisteria : a journal devoted to the natural history of Virginia. Vol. 40. [Hampden-Sydney, Va.]: Virginia Natural History Society.
  6. Cox, Christian L.; Tribble, Hilariann O.; Richardson, Shane; Chung, Albert K.; Curlis, John David; Logan, Michael L. (December 2020). "Thermal ecology and physiology of an elongate and semi-fossorial arthropod, the bark centipede". Journal of Thermal Biology. 94: 102755. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102755.