Synonyms
Lithobius (Lithobius) lapidicola Meinert, 1872
Status:
- GB IUCN status: Near Threatened
- GB rarity status: Nationally Rare
ID Difficulty
Identification
Lithobius is a difficult genus and at least 17 species are known from Britain and Ireland.
Lithobius lapidicola is one of seven 'smaller species' with 2 + 2 forcipular teeth that lack backward projections on tergites 9, 11 and 13 (though these may be feebly developed in some specimens). It is a small brown centipede (to 9 mm long), and perhaps most likely to be confused with the common L. microps (the latter characteristically has just three ommatidia on each side of the head; L. lapidicola has 7 to 11).
More information to allow accurate identification is given in the published identification keys by Tony Barber (2008 & 2009).
This is not the Lithobius lapidicola Latzel, 1880 of Eason's (1964) Centipedes of the British Isles (which is L. borealis Meinert, 1868)
