Allothereua maculata

Allothereua maculata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Myriapoda
Class:	Chilopoda
Order:	Scutigeromorpha
Family:	Scutigeridae
Genus:	Allothereua
Species:	A. maculata
Binomial name
Allothereua maculata (Newport, 1844)
Synonyms
Cermatia maculata Newport 1844 Scutigera maculata (Newport, 1844) Allothereua australiana (Newport, 1845) Allothereua latreillei (Newport, 1845) Allothereua simplex (Haase, 1887) Allothereua violacea (L. Koch, 1865)

Allothereua maculata is a species of centipedes found in Australia known as the house centipede – a name applied elsewhere to other species.[1]

Description

The body of Allothereua maculata is made up of 15 segments and bears 15 pairs of long legs.[1][2] The body is pale brown with dark markings, and grows to 20–25 millimetres (0.8–1.0 in) long.[2][1] It bears one pair of antennae on the head and a similarly long pair of caudal appendages at the tail end. These organisms have a lot of small hairs and spindle-like bodies so scientists Haase and Heathcote believed that these features can behave as an organ but later discovered that it is not true; they have other functions. There was only limited research done but they understand that it was probably created to help with adaption.[1]

Distribution

Allothereua maculata is the most common scutigeromorph centipede across southern Australia,[3] occurring from Western Australia to Queensland.[4]

Ecology

Allothereua maculata lives in urban areas and woodland.[3] Its occurrence in houses indicates that it prefers dampness and a lack of ventilation.[2] A. maculata is a predator of insects and other arthropods, but is generally considered harmless.[1]

References

1. George Gordh, Gordon Gordh & David Headrick (2003). "House centipede". A Dictionary of Entomology. CAB International. p. 454. ISBN 978-0-85199-655-4.
2. John Gerozisis & Ion Staunton (2009). "Spiders, mites, ticks and related arthropods". Urban Pest Management in Australia (5th ed.). University of New South Wales Press. pp. 208–229. ISBN 978-0-86840-894-1.
3. "House centipede fact file". Wildlife of Sydney. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
4. "Species Allothereua maculata (Newport, 1844)". Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.

Hilken, & Rosenberg, J. (2006). Ultrastructure of the maxillary organ ofScutigera coleoptrata (Chilopoda, Notostigmophora): Description of a multifunctional head organ. Journal of Morphology., 267(2), 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10392