museum online store
|
Categories:
|
|
|
| Memoir #5 |
 |
The order Scolopendromorpha contains the largest members of the class Chilopoda, with individuals of the aptly named Scolopendra gigantea L. attaining a length of over 12 inches (300 mm). Essentially worldwide in occurrence but most diverse and abundant in tropical and semiarid regions, scolopendromorphs are often the dominant invertebrate predators in terrestrial ecosystems. Endowed with powerful fangs and a predisposition to bite on little provocation, the larger members are often implicated in painful encounters with humans, and in parts of the tropics constitute a public health problem of some importance.
A Synopsis of the North American Centipedes of the Order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda) is the first comprehensive treatment of the North American fauna. In it, 27 species are recognized and distributed among nine genera and three families, and one generic and 23 species names are newly relegated to synonymies. Thousands of preserved specimens have been examined, including extant types of most newly proposed synonyms. The author has personally encountered the majority of our species alive under environmental conditions on field expeditions across the continental United States and Canada.
Keys are provided to taxa at all levels, and taxonomic characters are fully illustrated. With this reference at hand, any North American naturalist working with scolopendromorphs should experience little difficulty arriving at reliable determinations. Detailed distribution maps, based on both reliable literature records and collection localities of preserved samples, provide precise images of the ranges as currently known. Ecological and ethological information is summarized for species where such exists. An extensive bibliography of 233 titles represents virtually the entire literature base relevant to the continental fauna.
Dr. Rowland Shelley is Curator of Terrestrial Invertebrates at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences. He has authored over 160 scientific papers on the classification and distribution of millipeds, centipedes, scorpions, and leeches, in which over 180 new species and subspecies are described.
*If you are ordering more than four copies of this publication, please call 276-634-4141 (ext. 4319) to request a bulk order discount.
**If you are ordering outside the continental United States, please email books@vmnh.virginia.gov or call 276-634-4141 (ext. 4319) to place your order. |
|
|
|
