''Cormocephalus westwoodi'' is a species of
centipede
Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , " foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an ...
s in the family
Scolopendridae
Scolopendridae (or, in older documents, Scolopendridæ) is a family of large centipedes (class Chilopoda). Nearly all species in this family have four ocelli ( simple eyes) on each side of the head and only 21 pairs of legs, but there are excepti ...
. The species was previously considered by many names in many regions of the world, where some synonyms are still exists valid in certain countries. Five subspecies are currently recognized.
Subspecies
*''Cormocephalus westwoodi anceps''
*''Cormocephalus westwoodi lambertoni''
*''Cormocephalus westwoodi nubigenus''
*''Cormocephalus westwoodi ribauti''
*''Cormocephalus westwoodi westwoodi''
Ecology and description
Like other bark centipedes, ''C. westwoodi'' also prefer to live under rocks, barks and litter. It is the largest centipede found in
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, reaching 60 mm in length. It is also used as a pet in Oceanian countries.
The species often confused with ''
Cormocephalus aurantiipes''.
References
*Newport G. (1844). A list of the species of Myriapoda order Chilopoda contained in the cabinets of the British Museum with synoptic descriptions of forty-seven new species - Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 13: 94-101, see p. 100.
*Schileyko A.A., Stagl V. (2004). The collection of scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda) in the Natural History Museum in Vienna: a critical re-evaluation of former taxonomic identifications - Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, Serie B, 105B: 67-137, see p. 81.
westwoodi
Animals described in 1844
Centipedes of Australia
{{Myriapoda-stub