Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus 1758

Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758

Figs 8-13

Scolopendra morsitans: Attems 1902, Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, Mathematisch-Naturwissenshaftliche Classe 111 (I): 561.

Scolopendra morsitans scopoliana: Kraepelin 1903, Mitteilungen aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum in Hamburg, 20: 253.

Scolopendra morsitans and S. morsitans scopoliana: Brölemann 1904, Bulletin du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle 6: 320-321.

Scolopendra morsitans and S. morsitans scopoliana: Brolemann 1921, Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Naturelles du Maroc, I (3-6): 104.

Scolopendra morsitans and S. morsitans scopoliana: Attems 1930, Das Tierreich, 54: 23-25, figs 38-39.

Scolopendra morsitans and S. morsitans scopoliana: Brolemann 1932, Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle d’Afrique du Nord, 23 (2): 51-52.

Scolopendra morsitans: Dobroruka 1968, Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 78(3-4): 203.

Scolopendra amazonica: Lewis 1969, Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society, 48 (1): 49-57.

Material examined. 2 ex., Nabeul Distr., Jebel Abderrahman, N36°41.31 / E10°40.20, alt. 168 m, garrigue with Cistus monspeliensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Lavandula sp., 24- 28.11.2004; 1 ad., Siliana, N36°05.17 / E09°21.53, alt. 427 m, 7.6.2005; 1 ex., Zaghouan Distr., Jebel El Oust, N36°33.32 / E10°03.38, alt. 75 m, March 2006; 1 juv., Zaghouan Distr., Jebel El Fahs, N36°22.39 / E09°53.41, alt. 172 m, 20.3.2006; 1 ad., Cap Bon Peninsula, Nabeul Distr., El Haouaria, the ancient Roman quarry and surroundings, N37°03.448 / E10°59.869, alt. 51 m, slope facing the sea, under stones, 24.3.2008.

General distribution. North America (USA, Mexico); Caribbean Islands; South America; Atlantic Ocean Islands; Europe; Africa; Arabian Peninsula; Southeast Asia (incl. Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan); Indian Ocean Islands (Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, Seychelles); India; Australia; New Zealand; Pacific Islands (for more detailed information, see Shelley et al. 2005).

Distribution in Tunisia (Map 2). Known from the Subhumid and Semiarid bioclimatic zones. Comparatively rare species, found in northeastern Tunisia only – Cap Bon Peninsula, Jebel Zaghouan, Jebel El Fahs and near Siliana. The species has been reported also from Medjez-el-Bab (Attems 1902), Tunis and its surroundings (Brölemann 1904) and Jebel Serdj (Dobroruka 1968).

Altitudinal range in Tunisia. Known from sea level up to approx. 600 m.

Habitats. Coniferous forests dominated by P. halepensis, mixed woods of Q. coccifera and Rosmarinus officinalis; garrigue with Cistus monspeliensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Lavandula sp.; also found in open coastal areas.

Remarks. All the specimens examined have olive green-blackish colouration, which is characteristic for S. morsitans scopoliana C.L. Koch, 1841. However, Lewis (1969, 1978) studied the variation of African scolopendrid centipedes, and particularly that of S. amazonica and stated that the colouration show a considerable degree of variation, thus being an unreliable taxonomic character. Koch (1982) observed the same variability in S. laeta in Australia, finding some correlation with the rainfall. The darkest forms of S. laeta occur mainly in areas with high mean annual rainfall (more than 750 mm), although sometimes they are also found in regions with low rainfall (up to 250 mm). Other characters used to characterize S. m. scopoliana are tergal margination starting on tergite 17, and coxopleural process bearing 5 spines (Brolemann 1932). As it has already been shown by Lewis (1969) these are also of little taxonomic value in S. morsitans and for this reason S. morsitans scopoliana is here considered a junior synonym of S. morsitans.