Hydroschendyla submarina (Grube, 1872)
Synonyms
Arthronomalus littoralis Parfitt,1874
Status:
- GB IUCN status: Near Threatened
- GB rarity status: Nationally Rare
ID Difficulty
Identification
A reddish-brown centipede up to 40 mm in length, with 45 to 53 leg pairs and (as other Schendylids) has just 2 coxal pores on each of the ultimate legs. It is much larger and much more darkly pigmented than the closely related Schendyla species (e.g. the common Schendyla nemorensis).
In its sea-shore habitat it may be over-looked as the common Strigamia maritima, which is similar in general appearance, but this latter centipede occupies a different micro-habitat and the two are readily differentiated by their coxal pores (numerous in Strigamia) and the shape of the poison claw on the forciples (large basal tooth in Strigamia).
More information to allow accurate identification is given in the published identification keys (Barber, 2008 & 2009).
Distribution
An exclusively coastal species, mainly in South-west England and south Wales and a single record from the south coast of Ireland. Also recorded from the Channel Islands.
Habitat
It typically occurs within rock crevices at or below the high water mark. It is elusive, often requiring splitting loose rocks in order to locate specimens.
This account is based on the 'Centipede Atlas' (Barber, 2022).
Links
ChiloBase 2.0 - World Catalogue of Centipedes: https://chilobase.biologia.unipd.it/searches/result_species/4117
BRC code
13
idBmigTaxa
Cen_154