Ethmostigmus rubripes, commonly known as the giant centipede, is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae. It is a solitary nocturnal predator found across Asia and Oceania, with three subspecies currently described.[2][3]

Ethmostigmus rubripes
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Scolopendromorpha
Family: Scolopendridae
Subfamily: Otostigminae
Genus: Ethmostigmus
Species:
E. rubripes
Binomial name
Ethmostigmus rubripes
(Brandt, 1840)[1]
Subspecies[1]
  • Ethmostigmus rubripes platycephalus Newport, 1845
  • Ethmostigmus rubripes rubripes (Brandt, 1840)
  • Ethmostigmus rubripes spinosus (Newport, 1845)
Synonyms[1]
  • Ethmostigmus australianus Chamberlin, 1920
  • Heterostoma bisulcatum Tömösváry, 1885
  • Heterostoma crassipes Silvestri, 1894
  • Heterostoma fasciata Newport, 1845
  • Heterostoma flava Newport, 1845
  • Scolopendra megacephala Newport, 1844
  • Scolopendra rapax Gervais, 1847
  • Scolopendra scabriventris Newport, 1844
  • Scolopendra spinulosa Brandt, 1840
  • Scolopendra squalidens Newport, 1844
  • Scolopendra sulcicornis Newport, 1844
  • Scolopendra sulcidens Newport, 1844
  • Heterostoma rubripes grossipes Pocock, 1891

Description

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E. rubripes is a medium to extremely large centipede with 25 or 27 body segments and 21 or 23 pairs of legs. The tergites may be various shades of brown, green, orange, or yellow, sometimes with a dark border. The antennae are yellow and long to very long, typically composed of 19-20 segments with the first 3-4 segments being glabrous. The legs are yellow, and the morphology of the anal leg coxopleura may vary substantially.[2][4]

Distribution and habitat

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E. rubripes is widely distributed across Asia and Oceania and inhabits a variety of habitats across its range, including deserts, woodlands, rainforests, and urban areas. It tolerates dry and moist conditions alike, and can often be found sheltering beneath logs, bark, leaf litter, or rocks.[2][3]

Subspecies

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This species includes the following subspecies:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Bonato, Lucio; Chagas Junior, Amazonas; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Lewis, John G. E.; Minelli, Alessandro; Pereira, Luis A.; Shelley, Rowland M.; Stoev, Pavel; Zapparoli, Marzio (2016). "Ethmostigmus rubripes (Brandt,1840)". ChiloBase 2.0 – A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Schileyko, Arkady; Stagl, Verena (2003). "The collection of scolopendromorph Centipedes (Chilopoda) in the Natural History Museum in Vienna: a critical re-evaluation of former taxonomic identifications". Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie B für Botanik und Zoologie. 105. Natural History Museum Vienna: 117–124. JSTOR 41767283.
  3. ^ a b "Giant Centipede". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  4. ^ Koch, Lucien E. (1983). "A Taxonomic Study of the Centipede Genus Ethmostigmus Pocock (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae: Otostigminae) in Australia". Australian Journal of Zoology. 31 (5). CSIRO Publishing: 835–849. doi:10.1071/ZO9830835.