Family MECISTOCEPHALIDAE

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Introduction

The status of the family Mecistocephalidae is in question and some workers suggest that a subordinal rank within Geophilomorpha may be more appropriate. However, mecistocephalids lack certain characters that are shared by all other Geophilomorpha; sternal pore fields are missing, and leg numbers are fixed within species (they are variable in other geophilomorphs). Furthermore, there appears to be a phylogenetic basis for the separation of the mecistocephalids from the rest of the Geophilomorpha, as seen by the cladograms based on molecular sequence data of Edgecombe et al. (1999).

Mecistocephalids are small, generally 50–90 mm in length, with an elongate body, filiform antennae and a rectangular head. The body of these centipedes is usually a yellow shade with the head and prehensors red to black. The maxillipedes are easily seen from above protruding from underneath the small head plate. The labrum in Mecistocephalidae is unique; it consists of a small median sclerite flanked by two larger labral sclerites (Hoffmann 1982: 684).

The Mecistocephalidae are divided into two subfamilies: the Arrupinae (1 genus, 8 species) which occur in California and eastern Asia, and the Mecistocephaline (10 genera, 100 species), found throughout the tropics (except South America), south-eastern Europe, central Asia and Australia. One genus, six species and three subspecies are recorded for Australia.

General References

Edgecombe, G.D., Giribet, G. & Wheeler, W.C. 1999. Phylogeny of Chilopoda: combining 18S and 28S rRNA sequences and morphology. Boletin de la Sociedad Entomologica Aragonesa 26: 321-331

Hoffmann, R.L. 1982. Chilopoda. pp. 681-688 in Parker, S. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 2.

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