Strigamia maritima (Leach, 1817)
Status:
GB IUCN status: Least Concern
ID Difficulty
Identification
The genus Strigamia are relatively robust darkly pigmented (reddish brown) centipedes which are readily recognised by the presence of a prominent tooth at the base of the poison claw. The large widely scattered coxal pores of the last legs are also distinctive of the genus.
Strigamia maritima is very similar in appearance to the inland S. crassipes, but differs in subtle morphological characters and, characteristically, in it's seashore habitat.
More information to allow accurate identification is given in the published identification keys by Tony Barber (2008 & 2009).
Distribution
Strigamia maritima is an exclusively coastal species, occurring near the high water mark, around the entire coastline of Britain (including Orkney and Shetland) and Ireland.
Habitat
It is often numerous when found in shingle, but also under stones and in rock crevices.
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/3673
BRC code
15
idBmigTaxa
Cen_206