Lithobius curtipes C.L. Koch, 1847

Synonyms

Lithobius (Monotarsobius) curtipes C.L. Koch, 1847

Status:

  • GB IUCN status: Least Concern
  • GB rarity status: Nationally Scarce

ID Difficulty

Identification

Lithobius is a difficult genus and at least 17 species are known from Britain and Ireland.

This is one of seven 'smaller species' with 2 + 2 forcipular teeth that lack backward projections on tergites 9, 11 and 13. Lithobius curtipes is one of two species with the antennae composed of c. 20 articles (the other being L. crassipes). Males are readily differentiated from L. crassipes by the characteristic projection on the last legs, but the two species also differ in the arrangement of their ommatida

More information to allow accurate identification is given in the published identification keys by Tony Barber (2008 & 2009).

J.P. Richards

Distribution

This species is patchily distributed across England and Wales and is rare in southern Scotland. It has not been recorded from Ireland.  

Habitat

It typically occurs in woodland, but can be found in other habitats and has been reported as a characteristic upland species at over 1000m asl (Barber & Gallon, 2020). It is most easily found under stones and dead wood or among leaf-litter.  

This account is based on the 'Centipede Atlas' (Barber, 2022). 

A review of this species' enigmatic distribution and habitat preferences across Europe and Asia is given by Barber (2022).

BRC code

19

idBmigTaxa

Cen_176