''Ethmostigmus'' is a genus of

centipedes Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin language, Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphyl ...

in the family

Scolopendridae Scolopendridae (or, in older documents, Scolopendridæ), from Ancient Greek σκόλοψ (''skólops''), meaning "thorn", and ἔντερον (''énteron''), meaning "earthworm", is a family of large centipedes (class Chilopoda). Description Nea ...

found in Africa, Asia, and

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

that is characterised by its large, rounded spiracles.

Distribution and habitat

This genus is widely distributed, with its members being found in tropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, Asia (particularly Southeast Asia and the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

), and Oceania (particularly Australia,

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Vanu ...

, and

Polynesia Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...

Species

This genus includes the following species: *'' Ethmostigmus agasthyamalaiensis'' Joshi & Edgecombe 2018 –

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

(

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus albidus'' ( Tömösváry, 1885) –

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

*'' Ethmostigmus californicus'' Chamberlin, 1958 *'' Ethmostigmus coonooranus'' Chamberlin 1920 – India (

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus curtipes'' L. E. Koch 1983 – Australia (

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus granulosus'' Pocock 1898 – Papua New Guinea *'' Ethmostigmus muiri'' L. E. Koch 1983 – Australia (Western Australia) *'' Ethmostigmus nudior'' L. E. Koch 1983 – Australia (

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus pachysoma'' L. E. Koch 1983 – Australia (Western Australia) *'' Ethmostigmus parkeri'' L. E. Koch 1983 – Australia (Western Australia) *'' Ethmostigmus praveeni'' Joshi & Edgecombe 2018 – India (

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus pygomegas'' (Kohlrausch 1878) –

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

*'' Ethmostigmus relictus'' Chamberlin 1944 –

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

(

Western New Guinea Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region ...

) *''

Ethmostigmus rubripes ''Ethmostigmus rubripes'', commonly known as the giant centipede, is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae. It is a solitary nocturnal predator found across Asia and Oceania, with three subspecies currently described. Description ' ...

'' (Brandt, 1840) – Asia, Oceania (widespread) :*'' E. rubripes platycephalus'' (Newport 1845) :*'' E. rubripes rubripes'' (Brandt 1840) :*'' E. rubripes spinosus'' ( Newport 1845) *'' Ethmostigmus rugosus'' ( Haase, 1887) – Indonesia (

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coa ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus sahyadrensis'' Joshi & Edgecombe 2018 – India (

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus trigonopodus'' (

Leach Leach may refer to: People * Leach (surname) Places * Leach, Oklahoma, United States, an unincorporated community and census-designated place * Leach, Tennessee, United States, an unincorporated community * Leach Range, a mountain range in Ne ...

, 1817) (

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

) – Africa (widespread) :*'' E. trigonopodus pygomenasoides'' Lewis, 1992 :*'' E. trigonopodus trigonopodus'' (Leach, 1817) *'' Ethmostigmus tristis'' (Meinert, 1886) – India (Tamil Nadu) *'' Ethmostigmus venenosus'' (Attems, 1897) – Indonesia (

Maluku Province Maluku is located in Eastern Indonesia and geographically located in West-Melanesia, between Sulawesi and Western New Guinea, and comprises the central and southern regions of the Maluku Islands. It is directly adjacent to North Maluku, South ...

Sulawesi Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...

) *'' Ethmostigmus waiainus'' Chamberlin, 1920 –

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

Gallery

File:Ethmostigmus rubripes (49471966622).jpg, ''E. rubripes'' photographed in Queensland, Australia File:Blue-legged Centipede (Ethmostigmus trigonopodus) (12681235843).jpg, ''E. trignopodus'' photographed in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

File:Etrig2.jpg, ''E. trignopodus'', possibly the subspecies ''E. trignopodus pygmenasoides'' File:EthmostigmusWynaad.jpg, Unidentified ''Ethmostigmus'' photographed in

, India. File:Giant centipede 16 cm long.jpg, ''E. rubripes'' from Queensland, Australia with ruler for scale File:Ethmostigmus trigonopodus 115406916.jpg, ''E. trigonopodus'' photographed in

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

References

Scolopendridae Centipede genera Centipedes of Oceania Myriapods of Africa Myriapods of Asia Taxa named by William Elford Leach {{Centipede-stub