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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Centipedes (Chilopoda) » Bark Centipedes (Scolopendromorpha) » Cryptopidae » Cryptops » Common Cryptops (Cryptops hortensis)
Photo#44230
Tropical centipede - Cryptops hortensis
Copyright © 2006 tom murray

Tropical centipede - Cryptops hortensis
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
March 5, 2006
Size: 35mm
Found about 8 of these young centipedes curled up together under a log that was frozen to the ground. It looks thin like a soil centipede, but the segment shapes and tail look like a tropical centipede.
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Contributed by tom murray on 5 March, 2006 - 6:57pm
Last updated 7 March, 2007 - 7:38pm

Cryptops hortensis
Rowland, thanks for this centipede species id.
… tom murray, 7 March, 2007 - 7:38pm login or register to post comments

Cryptopidae: Cryptopinae
I believe this millipede is Cryptops hortensis Donovan, 1810, an introduced European species that occurs in urban environments across the US but hasn't to my knowledge, been found in Canada. It has 21 segments.
… Rowland Shelley, 7 March, 2007 - 7:26pm login or register to post comments

Theatops sp.
Ed, thanks for the info about the identification of this centipede!
… tom murray, 28 February, 2007 - 4:38pm login or register to post comments

Could possibly be a member fo
Could possibly be a member for the Scolocryptops genus, you might want to give that a try.
… Steve-o, 14 June, 2006 - 10:43am login or register to post comments

Scolopendromorpha
The leg count (I got 21 pairs) puts it in the Scolopendromorpha, tropical centipedes. Soil centipedes have 31 to 177 pairs of legs.
… Lynette Elliott, 5 March, 2006 - 9:25pm login or register to post comments

 
21 pairs rules out Scolopocryptops
That genus has 23 pairs. 21 pairs point to either Cryptops or Theatops. Thickened rear "legs" would point to Theatops.
… Ed Corey, 27 February, 2007 - 9:12am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Lynette
WOW!! 354 legs on some soil centipedes. I wouldn't want the shoe bill for one of them:-)
… tom murray, 5 March, 2006 - 9:29pm login or register to post comments

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