Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758

Simaiakis, Stylianos Michail & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2013, Scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) in the Natural History Museum (London): A review of the hitherto unidentified species collected in Africa, with remarks on taxonomy and distribution, and a new species of Otostigmus (Parotostigmus), Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 169-198 : 192-193

28. Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758

Eurylithobius slateri Butler, 1876 (for further synonyms see Minelli et al. 2006).

Material examined. Algeria: Otan, Domaine d’ Heljani, par St. Eugene , leg. M., J.A. Ducrok, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Algeria: S. Algeria, Boghari, 1911, Museum , 28/2/1949, leg. W. Rothsehild, 12 exx., BMNH 1950.2.20.126-135; Angola: Oncocua in village, Cuene river in the Province of Huilc in the Administrative area of Curoca, S.W. Africa, collected on date unknown (1947–1949?), rec. 22/8/1950, leg. M.H. Routh, 1 ex., BMNH 1952.9.1.52; Angola: Luanda, August 1949, leg. I.L.J. Galbraith, 6 exx., BMNH 1950.3.7.90-95; Botswana: Kgwebe Hills, Maun , under stone, 31/3/76, leg. F. Wanless, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Cameroon: Mamfe, Mamfe distr. , 450, 2/6/1933, No. (113 in), Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, leg. I. T . Sanderson , 1 ex., BMNH ?; Cameroon: Mamfe, Mamfe distr. , 450, 6/6/1933 (197L, 319 in), Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, leg. I. T . Sanderson , 1 ex., BMNH ?; Cameroon: Mamfe, Mamfe distr. , 450, 27/5/1933 (207s, 305 in), Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, leg. I. T . Sanderson , 1 ex., BMNH ?; Congo: Congo Belge, Uvira (Kivu), 7/6/1958, Rec. Dubois J. Th (Irsac), 1 ex., BMNH ?; Ghana: Gold Coast, West Africa , leg. S.J. Woodward, 3 exx., BMNH 1934.5.17.7-11; Kenya: British East Africa?, found in Bird Room , Laveridge Coll., leg A. Laveridge, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Kenya: Northern Turkana , Kenya Colony, Feb. – June 1934, Lake Rudolf Rift Valley Expedition 1934, leg. V . E. Fuchs , 1 ex., BMNH 1952.5.3.182-186; Kenya: Kilindini , Mombasa, 16/11/1955, leg. L.F. Brown, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Kenya: Naramum , Northern Turkana , Kenya Colony, 20/3/1934, Lake Rudolf Rift Valley Expedition 1934, leg. V . E. Fuchs , 1 ex., BMNH 1952.5.3187-191; Malawi: Chiromo , M. 18, 1958, spirit coll., leg. R . C.H. Sweeney , 1 ex., BMNH ?; Mozambique: Morrumbene (Inhambane), Ecological Survey ( University of Cape Town ), Jan. 1954, leg. unknown, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Mozambique: Lumbo, Port East Africa , leg. A. Laveridge, 23 exx., BMNH ?; Namibia: Windhoek, S.W. Africa , Jan. 1934, 1.650 m, leg. Dr. K. Jordan, 1 ex., BMNH 1934.6.5.31; Namibia: Hoffnung E. of Windhoek, S.W. Africa , 1.850 m, 30/12/1933, leg. Dr. K. Jordan, 6 exx., BMNH 1934.6.5.25-30; Namibia: S. of Otavi, S.W. Africa , 22/11/1934, leg. Dr. K. Jordan, 1 ex., BMNH 1934.4.25.114; Namibia: Sissekab, N.W. of Otavi, S.W. Africa , 1.300 m, 12/11/1933, leg. Dr. K. Jordan, 1 ex., BMNH 1934.4.25.113; Nigeria: Nko , Obubra div., S . Nigeria, 500 ft, 25/6/ 1933 (215 s, 374 in), under leaf-mould, Percy Sladen Expedition, leg. I. T . Sanderson , 2 exx., BMNH ?; Nigeria: Oban, S. Nigeria, July 1911, leg. P.A. Talbot, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Nigeria: Nko , Obubra div., S . Nigeria, 500 ft, 24/6/ 1933 (240 s, 372 in), Percy Sladen Expedition, leg. S.J. Sanderson, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Gulf of Guinea: Principe Isl., W. Africa , leg. J.A. Barns, 1 ex., BMNH 1927.4.21.4; Saint Helena Isl. : March 1937, 1.800 ft, leg. P. Gosse, 11 exx., BMNH 1937.4.23.58-67; Sierra Leone: London School of Tropical Medicine, Pres’d by Prof. P.A. Buxter, leg. D. Buvrows, 2 exx., BMNH 1950.4.19.26-27; South Africa: Durban, S.S. Kenya Castle, London , 20/10/1955, found on board after 3 weeks in docks and six weeks after leaving Durban, leg. L.F. Brown, 1 ex., BMNH ?; South Africa: Pretoria , leg. unknown, 1 ex., BMNH 0.10.28.5; Sudan: Tonj, Bahr-el-Shagal Prov. , 1956, leg. E. Daniels, 2 exx., BMNH ?; Sudan: 167 mls S of El Muglad , 10-11/5/1981, leg. M. Ritchie, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Sudan: Anglo- Egyptian Sudan, No. 156, 4/1932, leg. Miss Mary Steele, 1 ex., BMNH 1935.10.17.396; Sudan: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, No. 202, 4/1932, leg. Miss Mary Steele, 1 ex., BMNH 1935.10.17.395; Sudan: Khartoum, No. 14, 29/8/14, leg. R .C, 3 exx., BMNH?; Sudan: Khartoum, No. 11, leg. unknown, 2 exx., BMNH ?; Sudan: G. R . F. Medani, No. C201, Aug. 1926, leg. W.P.L. Cameron, 4 exx., BMNH ?; Sudan: Medani , in soil, No. C 195, 20/10/25, leg. W.P.L. Cameron, 2 exx., BMNH ?; Sudan: Medani, No. C194, 21/5/23, leg. H.B. Johnson, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Swaziland: Umbuluzi , found in dung, 3/9/1965, leg. R . C.H. Sweeny , 3 exx., BMNH ?; Swaziland: Tambankulu , September 1965, leg. R . C.H. Sweeny , 1 ex., BMNH ?; Tanzania: Kigoma, Tanganyika , Feb. – Mar. 1927, leg. C.L. Christy, 1 ex., BMNH 1928.3.30.24; Tanzania: South Tanganyika , 1950, leg. Dr. A.L. Meikle, 3 exx., BMNH 1952.9.4.11-13; Tanzania: Daressalam, 12/1914, leg. Manning, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Tunisia: Le Kef, No. 2156, alt. 3.000 ft, under stones, leg. unknown, 1 ex., BMNH ?; Zanzibar Isl.: Mkoani , Pemba isl., 13/5/1939, No. 325, leg. R . H.W. Pakenham , 1 ex., BMNH 1950.3.7.70; Zimbabwe: Balla Balla, S . Rhodesia, leg. J. Spencer, 1 ex., BMNH 14.10.21.11-13; Zimbabwe: Matabeleland, S. Rhodesia, B.M. 1926–466, leg. J.S. Jameson, 1 ex., BMNH 1932.11 .14.23. ( Fig. 37 ).

Type locality. India ( Minelli et al. 2006).

General distribution. East Tropical Africa: Kenya (KE), Tanzania ( Zanzibar Isl.) ( TZ), Uganda ( UG); Northeast Tropical Africa: Chad ( TD), Ethiopia ( ET), Somalia (SO), Sudan (SD); Northern Africa: Algeria ( DZ), Egypt ( EG), Morocco (MA), Tunisia ( TN); South Tropical Africa: Angola (AO), Malawi ( MW), Mozambique ( MZ), Zambia (ZM), Zimbabwe ( ZW); Southern Africa: Botswana ( BW), Lesotho ( LS), Namibia (ZA), South Africa (ZA), Swaziland (SZ); West Tropical Africa: Benin (BJ), Burkina Faso ( BF), Gambia (GM), Ghana (GH), Guinea ( GN), Ivory Coast (CI), Liberia (LR), Mali ( ML), Nigeria ( NG), Senegal (SN), Sierra Leone (SL); West- Central Tropical Africa: Cameroon ( CM), Democratic Republic of the Congo ( CD), Gabon (GA), Gulf of Guinea ( Principe Isl.) (ST); Northern America: Florida ( US), Mexico ( MX); Central America: Belize ( BZ), Costa Rica (CR), Panama (PA); Caribbean: Anguilla (AL), Antigua-Barbuda ( AG), Bahamas ( BS), Cayman Islands (KY), Cuba (CU), Curacao ( AN), Dominican Republic (DO), Grenadines ( GD), Guadeloupe ( GP), Haiti ( HT), Jamaica ( JM), Marie Galante ( GP), Martinique (MQ), Montserrat (MS), St.-Barthelemy ( GP), St. Kitts ( KN), St. Vincent ( VC), Trinidad and Tobago ( TT), Turks and Caicos Islands ( TC), US Virgin Islands ( VI); Southern America: Argentina (AR), Brazil ( BR), Colombia (CO), Ecuador ( EC), Fernando Noronha ( BR), French Guiana (GF), Guyana ( GY), Paraguay (PY), Peru (PE), Suriname (SR), Venezuela ( VE); Atlantic Ocean Islands: Canary Islands ( ES), Cape Verde Islands ( CV), St. Helena (SH); Europe: France (FR), Italy ( IT); Asia Temperate: Arabian Peninsula ( Oman ( OM), Yemen ( YE)), China ( CN), Georgia (GE), Iran ( IR), Japan ( JP), Syria (SY), Turkey (TR); Asia Tropical: Bangladesh ( BD), Brunei ( BN), Cambodia ( CH), India ( IN), Indonesia (ID), Laos (LA), Malaysia (MY), Myanmar ( MM), Pakistan ( PK), Philippines ( PH), Sri Lanka ( LK), Taiwan ( TW), Thailand (TH), Vietnam ( VN); Indian Ocean Islands: Comoro Islands ( KM), Madagascar ( MG), Mascarene Islands ( MU), Seychelles (SC); Australasia: Australia (AU), New Zealand ( NZ); Pacific Ocean Islands: Cook Islands ( CK), Micronesia Federated States ( FM), Fiji ( FJ), French Polynesia ( FP), Guam (GU), Kiribati ( KI), New Caledonia ( NC), Northern Marianna Islands ( MP), Papua New Guinea ( PG), Marshall Islands ( MH), Solomon Islands (SB), Tonga (TO), Tuvalu ( TV), Western Samoa (WS) (for review and detailed distribution notes see Shelley et al. 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 37. Scolopendra mirabilis and S. morsitans, distribution records of specimens from Africa housed in the NHM collection.