A synopsis of the North American centipedes of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda)

The scolopendromorph centipede fauna of North America comprises three families, eight genera, and 21 species as follows: Scolopendridae [Scolopendra viridis Say, S. polymorpha Wood, S. heros Girard, and S. alternans Leach; Hemiscolopendra marginata (Say); and Arthrorhabdus pygmaeus (Pocock)], Scolopocryptopidae [Scolopocryptops sexspinosus (Say), S. nigridius McNeill, S. peregrinator (Crabill), S. rubiginosus L. Koch, S. gracilis Wood, and S. spinicaudus Wood; Kethops utahensis (Chamberlin) and K. atypus Chamberlin; and Thalkethops grallatrix Crabill], and Cryptopidae [Theatops posticus (Say), T. spinicaudus (Wood), T. phanus Chamberlin, and T. californiensis Chamberlin; Cryptops leucopodus (Rafinesque) and C. floridanus Chamberlin]. Cryptops hortensis (Donovan), an introduced Palearctic species, is established in urban environments across the continent; C. parisi Brolemann, another Palearctic species, has been encountered in Newfoundland, and Rhysida longipes Newport, a Neotropical species, in south Florida and California. Additionally, C. anomalans Leach, a third Palearctic species, may occur in eastern Canada and northern New England, and Scolopendra subspinipes Leach and S. morsitans L. have been intercepted at quarantines at ports. Scolopendra crudelis C. L. Koch, S. mima Chamberlin, Rhysida celeris (Humbert and Saussure), Ethmostigmus californicus Chamberlin, Dinocryptops miersii (Newport), Newportia sp., and Cryptops vector, C. nautiphilus, C. venezuelae, C. watsingus, and C. positus, all by Chamberlin, are deleted from the continental fauna. The Scolopocryptopinae Pocock, formerly a subfamily in the Cryptopidae Kohlrausch, is returned to full familial status and comprises two subfamilies in addition to the nominate: Newportiinae Pocock and Kethopinae, new subfamily. The following new synonymies are proposed: Anethops Chamberlin under Scolopocryptops Newport; Scolopendra utahana Chamberlin under S. viridis; S. californica Humbert and Saussure, S. mohavea Chamberlin, and S. michelbacheri Verhoeff under S. polymorpha; S. heros vars. prismatica Cragin and arizonensis Kraepelin under S. heros; S. hirsutipes Bollman under S. alternans; Scolopocryptops calcaratus Bollman under S. nigridius; Anethops occidentalis and Otocryptops mundus, both by Chamberlin, under Scolopocryptops gracilis; Scolopocryptops nipponicus Shinohara under S. spinicaudus; Kethops leioceps Chamberlin, K. euterpe Crabill, and Cryptops colomanus and C. glenvilleus, both by Chamberlin, under K. utahensis; Cryptops milberti Gervais, C. asperipes Wood, C. sulcatus Meinert, C. centralis Chamberlin, and C. eques Chamberlin and Mulaik under C. leucopodus; C. denmarki Chamberlin and C. parydrus Crabill under C. floridanus; and C. diego Chamberlin under C. hortensis. Keys, diagnoses, and anatomical illustrations facilitate determinations; detailed locality records are supplemented by distribution maps to depict occurrences.

Recommended citation: Shelley, R. M. (2002): A synopsis of the North American centipedes of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda). Virginia Museum of Natural History Memoir, 5: 1-105.