Conversion of tropical rainforests into plantations fundamentally alters ecological niches of animal species. Generalist predators such as centipedes (Chilopoda) may be able to persist in converted ...ecosystems due to their ability to adapt and switch to alternative prey populations. We investigated variations in community composition and trophic niches of soil and litter living centipedes in a range of ecosystems including rainforests, jungle rubber agroforests, and rubber and oil palm monocultures in two landscapes in Sumatra, Indonesia. Including information on environmental factors in the soil and litter habitat, we explored drivers shaping ecological niches of soil living invertebrate predators in one of the world's hotspots of rainforest conversion. Conversion of rainforests into agroforests and plantations was associated with a marked change in the composition of centipede communities. However, irrespective of major differences in habitat characteristics, changes in total abundances were small and the overall diversity and biomass of centipedes was similar in each of the systems investigated, suggesting that the number of ecological niches for this group of predators remains unchanged. By using stable isotope analysis (.sup.15 N and .sup.13 C), we investigated trophic niche shifts of the centipede community; lower delta.sup.13 C values of centipedes in oil palm plantations as compared to other ecosystems suggests that centipedes switch from decomposer prey to other prey, presumably understory associated herbivores, due to reduced availability of litter associated prey species. The results suggest that the ability to utilize alternative prey is a key feature enabling invertebrate predators to persist in ecosystems undergoing major structural changes due to anthropogenic land use change.
The Chilopoda fauna of the county Sălaj in Transylvania (Romania) were studied in the frame of a cooperation between the Hungarian Natural History Museum and the University Vasile Goldiş during ...2014-2015. This region has been relatively unexplored yet, having only data of 13 centipede species. With 20 species reported or revised here, this number is elevated to 24.
Myriapoda of the South Ossetia comprises not less than 13 species: 8 Chilopoda species (belong to 6 genera, 5 families, and 3 orders) and 5 Diplopoda species (belong to 4 genera, 2 families, and 2 ...orders). Class Chilopoda and 1 species of Diplopoda are new to the regional list.
The lithobiomorph centipede Lithobius (Lithobius) forficatus (Linnaeus 1758) is here reported for the first time in mainland Japan. All specimens were collected in Obihiro City, eastern Hokkaido, ...Japan. This species has a rather widely morphological variation and seems to inhabit synanthropic areas. The present study is the first record of indoor invasion of lithobiomorph species in Japan.
Centipedes coordinate body and limb flexion to generate propulsion. On flat, solid surfaces, the limb-stepping patterns can be characterized according to the direction in which limb-aggregates ...propagate, opposite to (retrograde) or with the direction of motion (direct). It is unknown how limb and body dynamics are modified in terrain with terradynamic complexity more representative of these animal's natural heterogeneous environments. Here, we investigated how centipedes that use retrograde and direct limb-stepping patterns, Scolopendra polymorpha and Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, respectively, coordinate their body and limbs to navigate laboratory environments which present footstep challenges and terrain rugosity. We recorded the kinematics and measured the locomotive performance of these animals traversing two rugose terrains with randomly distributed step heights and compared the kinematics with those on a flat frictional surface. Scolopendra polymorpha exhibited similar body and limb dynamics across all terrains and a decrease in speed with increased terrain rugosity. Unexpectedly, when placed in a rugose terrain, S. sexspinosus changed the direction of the limb-stepping pattern from direct to retrograde. Further, for both species, traversal of these rugose terrains was facilitated by hypothesized passive mechanics: upon horizontal collision of a limb with a block, the limb bent and later continued the stepping pattern. Although centipedes have many degrees of freedom, our results suggest these animals negotiate limb-substrate interactions and navigate complex terrains leveraging the innate flexibility of their limbs to simplify control.
The present study describes a new Lithobiomorpha subgenus, Lithobius (Sinuispineus)subgen. nov. , and two new species, L. (Sinuispineus) sinuispineussp. nov. and L. (Sinuispineus) minuticornissp. ...nov. from China. The representatives of the new subgenus are characterized by a considerable sexual dimorphism of the ultimate leg pair 15, having the femur and tibia unusually enlarged in males, and the dorsal side of the femur with curved posterior spurs. These features distinguish Lithobius (Sinuispineus)subgen. nov. from all other subgenera of Lithobius . The diagnosis and the main morphological characters of the new subgenus and of the two new species are given for both male and female specimens. Keywords: Chilopoda , Lithobius (Sinuispineus) minuticornis sp. nov., Lithobius (Sinuispineus) sinuispineus sp. nov., Myriapoda
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