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Scolopendra

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Scolopendra
Temporal range: Eocene–Recent
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Scolopendromorpha
Family: Scolopendridae
Genus: Scolopendra
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Scolopendra morsitans [1]
Look up scolopendra in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Scolopendra (through Latin from Greek σκολόπενδρα, skoˈlo.pen.ðɾa) is a species-rich genus of large tropical centipedes of the family Scolopendridae.

Description

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The genus Scolopendra contains many species of centipedes found across the world's tropics and warmer temperate areas. The species vary considerably in coloration and size. Scolopendra are mostly very large centipedes. The largest species found in tropical climates can exceed 30 cm (12 in) and are the largest living centipedes in the world.[2] All Scolopendra species can deliver a painful bite, injecting venom through their forcipules, which are not fangs or other mouthparts; rather, these are modified legs on the first body segment.

Ecology

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Scolopendra species are active predators, feeding primarily on insects and other invertebrates. Larger specimens have been observed preying on frogs, tarantulas, lizards, birds, snakes, rodents, and even bats.[3] Two southeast Asian species, S. cataracta and S. paradoxa, as well as S. alcyona from the Ryukyu Islands, are amphibious, as these species can travel underwater by swimming or walking.[4][5][6]

Venom

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The venom of most species is not medically significant; however, bites from several species can cause intense and long-lasting pain and swelling. Large Scolopendra species from Asian/Pacific regions, such as Scolopendra subspinipes and Scolopendra dehaani, are particularly potent, and have caused one reported fatality.[7] In 2014, a fatality was reported for a bite from a Scolopendra gigantea.[8] The venom of certain Scolopendra species were found to contain compounds such as serotonin, haemolytic phospholipase, a cardiotoxic protein, and a cytolysin.[9]

Taxonomic history

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Scolopendra was one of the genera created by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, the starting point for zoological nomenclature. Only two of the species originally assigned to the genus remain so: Scolopendra gigantea and S. morsitans; the latter was chosen to be the type species by Opinion 454 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature,[2] overruling a previous designation by Pierre André Latreille, in which he chose Linnaeus' Scolopendra forficata (now Lithobius forficatus) as the type species.[10]

Species

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The genus Scolopendra contains these species:[1][11]

One fossil species, †Scolopendra proavita, is known from Baltic amber deposits from the Eocene of Poland.[13] Fossil remains of a species tentatively assigned to S. morsitans (as S. (cf) morsitans) are also known from Pliocene-aged rocks in the Makapansgat of South Africa.[14]

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Gallery
  • S. oraniensis
    S. oraniensis
  • S. viridis
    S. viridis
  • S. canidens
    S. canidens
  • S. viridis maya
    S. viridis maya
  • S. multidens
    S. multidens
  • S. aztecorum
    S. aztecorum
  • S. hermosa
    S. hermosa
  • S. dalmatica
    S. dalmatica
  • S. viridis viridis
    S. viridis viridis
  • S. valida
    S. valida

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758". ChiloBase. Università di Padova. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  2. ^ a b R. M. Shelley & S. B. Kiser (2000). "Neotype designation and a diagnostic account for the centipede, Scolopendra gigantea L. 1758, with an account of S. galapagoensis Bollman 1889 (Chilopoda Scolopendromorpha Scolopendridae)" (PDF). Tropical Zoology. 13 (1): 159–170. doi:10.1080/03946975.2000.10531129. S2CID 83560131.
  3. ^ J. Molinari, E. E. Gutiérrez, A. A. de Ascenção, J. M. Nassar, A. Arends & R. J. Márquez (2005). "Predation by giant centipedes, Scolopendra gigantea, on three species of bats in a Venezuelan cave" (PDF). Caribbean Journal of Science. 41 (2): 340–346. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-09.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Holmes, O. (1 July 2016). "Giant swimming, venomous centipede discovered by accident in world-first". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  5. ^ Bates, M. (26 June 2016). "'Horrific' First Amphibious Centipede Discovered". National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 26, 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  6. ^ Doménech, Carles; Barbera, Victor M.; Larriba, Eduardo (24 September 2018). "A phylogenetic approach to the Philippines endemic centipedes of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae), with the description of a new species". Zootaxa. 4483 (3): 401–427. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4483.3.1. PMID 30313775. S2CID 52975027."A phylogenetic approach to the Philippines endemic centipedes of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae), with the description of a new species". 24 September 2018.
  7. ^ S. P. Bush, B. O. King, R. L. Norris & S. A. Stockwell (2001). "Centipede envenomation". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 12 (2): 93–99. doi:10.1580/1080-6032(2001)012[0093:CE]2.0.CO;2. PMID 11434497.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Aguilera, María; Díaz, Gienah (13 November 2014). "Niño de 4 años murió tras ser picado por ciempiés gigante". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  9. ^ Robert L. Norris (November 19, 2008). "Centipede Envenomation". eMedicine. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  10. ^ Ralph E. Crabill Jr. (1955). "Proposed use of the plenary powers to designate for the genus "Scolopendra" Linnaeus (Class Myriapoda) a type species in harmony with the accustomed usage". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 11 (4): 134–136. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.2832.
  11. ^ a b Siriwut, Warut; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Sutcharit, Chirasak; Tongkerd, Piyoros; Panha, Somsak (May 17, 2016). "A taxonomic review of the centipede genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) in mainland Southeast Asia, with description of a new species from Laos". ZooKeys (590): 1–124. doi:10.3897/zookeys.590.7950. PMC 4926625. PMID 27408540.
  12. ^ GBIF https://www.gbif.org/species/10427121 Scolopendra lufengia
  13. ^ "Fossilworks: Scolopendra proavita". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". fossilworks.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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