Tasmanophilus spenceri | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
Class: | Chilopoda |
Order: | Geophilomorpha |
Family: | Zelanophilidae |
Genus: | Tasmanophilus |
Species: | T. spenceri |
Binomial name | |
Tasmanophilus spenceri | |
Tasmanophilus spenceri is a species of centipede in the family Zelanophilidae. [2] [3] This centipede is found only in New Zealand and has only 39 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in the family Zelanophilidae. This species reaches only 23 mm in length and is the smallest centipede in this family. [4] [5]
This species was first described in 1901 by the British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock. [6] The original description is based on a female holotype found at The Bluff on the South Island of New Zealand. [7] The species name spenceri honours the British-Australian evolutionary biologist Baldwin Spencer. [6]
Pocock originally described this species in 1901 under the name Necrophloeophagus spenceri. [6] [2] In 1920, the American biologist Ralph V. Chamberlain proposed moving this species to the genus Geophilus, [8] and in 1936, the New Zealand zoologist Gilbert Archey provided a more detailed description of this species under the name Geophilus spenceri. [4] In 1962, the American myriapodologist Ralph E. Crabill, Jr., of the Smithsonian Institution assigned this species to the genus Tasmanophilus , [7] which Chamberlain originally described in 1920. [8] [2]
This species can reach 23 mm in length, and both males and females have 39 pairs of legs. [7] [4] The middle part of the labrum features several distinct teeth, and the side pieces of the labrum are fringed. The first maxillae feature distinct lappets projecting from the lateral margins, and the second maxillae each feature a long curved claw. The claws on the forcipule are curved, stout, and long enough to reach the front of the head. These claws are each armed with a blunt tubercle. Pores appear in transverse bands in the posterior portion of each sternite but become progressively smaller and sparser after the 29th segment. The basal element of each of the ultimate legs features evenly spaced pores, 12 to 14 large pores on the lower surface and four on the upper surface. The ultimate legs in the male are very broad and thick, with a small claw, a few long hairs above, and a dense covering of fine hairs below. The male also features many fine hairs on the last sternite. [4] [9]
The species T. spenceri shares several features with T. opinatus , the only other species in the genus Tasmanophilus. For example, the anterior sternites in both species feature an unusual medial depression. [5] These pits appear in the first 15 sternites in T. spenceri and in the first 25 sternites in T. opinatus. [4] [6] The species T. opinatus, however, features 69 pairs of legs, many more than T. spenceri has. Furthermore, T. spenceri has distinctly larger pores and wider sternites. [6]
This centipede is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. This species has been recorded only at the type locality, The Bluff, near Invercargill in the Southland Region. [4]
Geophilus hadesi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is a troglobite, spending its entire life cycle in a cave environment. This species and Geophilus persephones are the only two troglobites known in the order Geophilomorpha. The species G. hadesi is named after Hades, god of the underworld in Greek mythology and the husband of Persephone, the namesake of the first troglobite discovered among the soil centipedes. The species G. hadesi has been observed in a cave as far as 1,100 meters below the surface, the deepest underground that any centipede has ever been recorded.
Zelanophilidae is a family of centipedes belonging to the order Geophilomorpha and superfamily Geophiloidea. Centipedes in this family are found in the Australasian region. This family includes seven species distributed among three genera.
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.
Steneurytion is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. This genus was first described by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems in 1909. These centipedes are found in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
Tasmanophilus is a genus of centipedes in the family Zelanophilidae. This genus was described by American biologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1920. Centipedes in this genus are found in Australia and New Zealand. This genus contains only two species.
Pachymerellus zygethus is a species of centipede in the Geophilidae family. It is endemic to Australia and New Zealand, and was first described in 1920 by American biologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin.
Zelanophilus is a genus of three species of centipedes, in the family Zelanophilidae. This genus was described by American biologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1920. Centipedes in this genus are found in Australia and New Zealand.
Australiophilus ferrugineus is a species of centipede in the Zelanophilidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. It was first described in 1877 by New Zealand biologist Frederick Hutton. Since then, authorities have recognized two junior synonyms, deeming Geophilus huttoni a synonym in 1936 and Geophilus polyporus a synonym in 2014.
Geophilus oligopus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in several European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovenia, and Romania. Although this centipede has been described as having an Alpine-Dinaric distribution, this species has also been found in the Carpathian mountains and may be more widespread than previously thought.
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.
Escaryus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Schendylidae. These centipedes are notable as schendylids adapted to colder temperatures and restricted to cool climates and high latitudes. With more than 30 species, this genus is easily the largest group of such centipedes in the family Schendylidae. Most schendylids are limited to tropical or subtropical regions.
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 was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova.
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.
Arctogeophilus inopinatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophildae. This centipede is found in France and may also be present in Luxembourg. This species is small, measuring only 18 mm in length, and can have either 39 or 41 pairs of legs.
Schendyla dentata is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is widespread in western Europe. This species is notable not only for its small size, reaching only 12 mm in length, but also for the absence of males in all samples collected. This absence of males suggests that this species reproduces through parthenogenesis.
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.