''Lithobius obscurus'' 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 ...

in the

Lithobiidae Lithobiidae is a family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

family. It was first described in 1872 by Danish arachnologist

Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert (1833, in Copenhagen – 1912), was a Danish people, Danish entomologist and editor of the first series of ''Entomologiske Meddelelser''. Meinert initially studied theology . Later he was a pupil of Jørgen Matthi ...

Distribution

The species has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

. The type locality is

Carratraca Carratraca is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 56 km from Ronda and from the provincial capital of Málaga. It is ...

, in Malaga, Spain.

Subspecies

* ''Lithobius obscurus azoreae'' Eason & Ashmole, 1992 * ''Lithobius obscurus mediocris'' Eason & Ashmole, 1992 * ''Lithobius obscurus obscurus'' Meinert, 1872

Behaviour

The centipedes are solitary terrestrial predators that inhabit plant litter and soil.

References

obscurus Centipedes of Australia Arthropods of New South Wales Myriapods of Europe Arthropods of Africa Arthropods of South America Animals described in 1872 Taxa named by Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert Cosmopolitan arthropods {{Myriapoda-stub