Long Beastie

[jdoherty]

I took this photo in April 2007 in Monkstown Wood, Newtownabbey, N.Ireland. I think this is a centipede but hope someone from WAB can provide a more specific ID.

Thanks, John.

[thunder]

Yes, a centipede (one pair of legs per segment) but can't go further than that at the moment.

henrya

[Pudding4brains]

Well, (beginners guide PDF here) order Geophilomorpha is clear (35+ legs) and is also probably where I should stop (!!) I don't know diddley squat about Chilopoda ... but hey, let's give these keys a try:
* Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Familien der Ordnung Geophilida, Deutschland
* Le monde des insectes - Chilopoda - clé illustrée

Note: Other keys are available as PDF but usually require details that can not be seen on normal photos:

• Brolemann, H.W. (1930) Myriapodes Chilopodes, Faune de France n° 25 (404 pg./481 fig.) PDF (18MB!!)
• Matty Berg en Chris Evenhuis (2001) Determinatietabel voor de nederlandse duizendpoten (myriapoda: chilopoda), Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen nr.15, pp.41-78. Download PDF (860KB) also download the errata from NFM-17: PDF (165KB)

So:

• Small head, wide body: families Linotaenidae or Dignathodontidae
• All (British?) Linotaenidae have fewer legs (max 50-some)
• So must be Dignathodontidae. Based on FE (not always right) that would leave two species, both in the genus Henia.
• Henia vesuviana should be more pigmented, and possibly this one even has a few legs too many.
• So should, could, may possibly be Henia (Pseudochaetechelyne) brevis (Silvestri 1896)

Now let's see what bashing the next passing expert is going to give me
Arp

[Ukwildlifeo]

Well its one of the the 'geophid' (earth loving) centipedes, possibly a geophilus species but I dont have the expertise or Books to check!

[Pudding4brains]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Well its one of the the 'geophid' (earth loving) centipedes, possibly a geophilus species but I dont have the expertise or Books to check!

Well, as stated above, I really shouldn't be talking either - just checked with some online keys...

But curious how/why would you arrive at the family Geophilidae or even genus Geophilus? Aren't those supposed to be "all straight" as opposed to "wide in the middle"? Or did I miss something obvious (quite possible!)

Arp

Btw. in terms of books - check out the Brolemann (Faune de France) linked above - it's oldish but quite extensive!

[Ukwildlifeo]

One book I have class all the long wormy centipedes as geophid, including the other major family (i don't remember its name and im at uni away from the book: is it Haplophilidae?) As for it being geophilus i think u maybe right - looking again its fatter in the middle so it cant be

[Paul mabbott]

The only English key on centipedes es very old (and I've forgotten the author ).

Most British species belong to two sub-order the Geophilomorpha (like these) and the Lithobiomorpha (the shorter, flatter, more darkly coloured ones). The names tell you something about their habits. The geophiles (earth lovers) bury down into the soil while the lithobiomorphs (stone-living) are more commonly found under stones or other soil surface cover (logs &c).

Off topic but the standard (i.e. only) British book on millipedes is Millipedes byJ. Gordon Blower published by the Linnean Society-EBWSA in 1985 so is a little out of date. These are a tad easier than centipedes which generally need microscopic examination.

[Ukwildlifeo]

The sub-order the Geophilomorpha is what i meant by geophid earlier, just o clear things up.

[Pudding4brains]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

These are a tad easier than centipedes which generally need microscopic examination.

I always thought that too, but was really pleasantly surprised how far I could get with the german online key linked above. Of course that was a bit of luck too. Had it indeed been a Geophilidae with I don't know how many species in the UK & Ireland it would have looked grimm

Cheers!
Arp

[aeshna5]

If I remember correctly there was a feature on centipede ID in British Wildlife, possibly last year!