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| Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano in Tsukamoto, Hiruta, Eguchi, Liao & Shimano, 2021. |
Abstract
In Japan and Taiwan, five valid species of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 have been described: S. morsitans Linnaeus, 1758, S. subspinipes Leach, 1816, S. mutilans Koch, 1878, S. japonica Koch, 1878, and S. multidens Newport, 1844. Recently, an undetermined species was found in the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Using molecular phylogenetic analyses with mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA and nuclear 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes as well as conventional morphological examination, we successfully discriminated this sixth species as an independent lineage from S. subspinipes, S. mutilans, and other named congeners from East and Southeast Asia. Therefore, the species was described as Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov. Several situational evidences suggest that this species prefers streamside environments and exhibits amphibious behavior.
Keywords: Myriapoda, Chilopoda, molecular phylogeny, morphology, semi-aquatic
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| Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov., found underwater at the upper reach of ... River, Kume-jima Island (by H. Sato; specimen not collected). |
Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov.
[New Japanese name: Ryûjin-ômukade (琉神大百足);
new English name: Halcyon Giant Centipede]
Etymology. This epithet “alcyona” derived from the name of a Greek mythological figure, “Alcyone”. In one version of the story, Alcyone was turned into a common kingfisher (halcyon bird) by Zeus ( Gresseth 1964). This epithet is a metaphor for halcyon bird-like jade green legs seen in the Okinawa-jima Island population, and its amphibious behavior.
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| Habitat of Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov. in Kume-jima Island |
Sho Tsukamoto, Shimpei F. Hiruta, Katsuyuki Eguchi, Jhih-Rong Liao and Satoshi Shimano. 2021. A New Amphibious Species of the Genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) from the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Zootaxa. 4952(3); 465–494. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4952.3.3
国内で143年ぶりのオオムカデの新種発見！渓流に潜む、翡翠色に輝く国内最大のオオムカデ〜日本初、世界で3例目の半水棲ムカデ、沖縄の４地域と台湾から発見され、沖縄の故事にちなみリュウジンオオムカデ（琉神大百足）と命名〜
