Morphological Characters of Australian Scolopendrid Centipedes, and the Taxonomy and Distribution of Scolopendra Morsitans L. (Chilopoda:Scolopendridae:Scolopendrinae).

Abstract

Introductory remarks are given to proposed systematic revisions of Australian scolopendrid genera; subfamilies of the Scolopendridae and the Australian scolopendrine genera are keyed; and morphological characters and terminology are discussed. The Australian component of the widespread species, Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758, is redescribed from over 1000 specimens and its distribution is mapped. Comparative taxonomic characters of S. morsitans and the closely related species S. laeta Haase, 1887, are illustrated. The variation exhibited in eight morphological characters in samples of S. morsitans from seven areas in Australia is discussed in relation to the variation in samples of S. laeta, including some of its colour-forms, and to the variation in another scolopendrid, Ethmostigmus rubripes (Brandt, 1840).