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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Centipedes (Chilopoda) » Soil Centipedes (Geophilomorpha) » Geophilidae » Strigamia

Genus Strigamia

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Works Cited
Long Centipede - Strigamia bothriopus A soil centipede? - Strigamia Centipede? - Strigamia bothriopus Strigamia bothriopus Soil Centipede? - Strigamia Strigamia which soil centipede? (genus Strigamia) - Strigamia Strigamia epileptica - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Myriapoda (Myriapods)
Class Chilopoda (Centipedes)
Order Geophilomorpha (Soil Centipedes)
Family Geophilidae
Genus Strigamia
Explanation of Names
Strigamia Gray 1843
Numbers
~40 spp. total(1)
Identification
The genus Strigamia can be identified by the tapering in body width toward the head, and by the extra claw on the forcipules (the venom-injecting fangs below the head, visible from beneath).

Below is a simple key to the 4 species of Strigamia commonly found in NORTHEASTERN North America. All of these have pages on BugGuide. Keep in mind that other species are found elsewhere, data for these species will be forthcoming.

1) More than 45 pairs of legs (often bright red in color) ..................... 2
Fewer than 45 pairs of legs .................... 3
2) More than 65 pairs of legs ............... S. bidens (https://bugguide.net/node/view/905515/bgimage)
Between 45 and 55 pairs of legs .......... S. bothiopus (https://bugguide.net/node/view/905299/bgimage)
3) Dark diamond-shaped markings running down the back ................ S. branneri (https://bugguide.net/node/view/905300/bgimage)
No pattern running down the back ................... S. chionophila (https://bugguide.net/node/view/905730/bgimage)

Note: Geophilus vittatus, another common geophilomorph in the east, also has dark diamond-shaped markings running down the back, but lacks the tapering in body width or extra claw on the forcipules that distinguish the genus Strigamia.
Range
The northern hemisphere.
Habitat
They live in soil and in leaf litter.
Food
Small invertebrates.
Life Cycle
Females lay a clutch of eggs in early summer which they guard until hatching.
Works Cited
1.Bonato L. et al. (2016) ChiloBase 2.0 - A world catalogue of centipedes (Chilopoda)
Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 7 March, 2007 - 10:22pm
Additional contributions by v belov, Joseph DeSisto Alling
Last updated 27 December, 2014 - 5:20am

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