Preliminary taxonomic key to the Japanese-Taiwanese Scolopendra species

In the following key, body coloration is used for discriminating S. mutilans and S. subspinipes because of the lack of the other discriminative morphological characters. However, the reliability of body coloration in discrimination of Scolopendra species is controversial (Chao & Chang 2003, Shinohara et al. 2015). Further morphological surveys using adequate specimens of both these species are needed.

1 T21 with median suture.......................................................... S. morsitans Linnaeus, 1758

- T21 without median suture.............................................................................. 2

2 Gonopods present in male.............................................................................. 3

- Gonopods absent in male............................................................................... 5

3 Tarsal spur only on legs 1–19.......................................................... S. japonica Koch, 1878

- Tarsal spur on legs 1–19(20)............................................................................ 4

4 Head and body dark brown in adult (monochromatic).................................... S. subspinipes Leach, 1816

- Head and T1 red or reddish brown, body dark green in adult (dichromatic)...................... S. mutilans Koch, 1878

5 Ratio of length of prefemur and femur 1.2:1, femur and tibia 1.7:1, tibia and tarsus 1 1.8:1; tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 1.5:1; cephalic plate with large puncta; penis absent in male........................................... S. multidens Newport, 1844

- Ratio of length of prefemur and femur 1.1:1; femur and tibia 1.1:1; tibia and tarsus 1 1.3:1; tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 2.9:1; cephalic plate with small puncta; penis present in male............................. S. alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov.