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Photo#1046093
Intertidal Centipede? - Cryptops

Intertidal Centipede? - Cryptops
Ecola State Park, Clatsop County, Oregon, USA
March 1, 2015
Size: 1-1.5 inches
Hello again, Bugguide

I found this "marine" centipede 10-15 feet above the tide line. Could this be a Strigamia maritima or something like that? It was interesting to see a bright orange centipede sitting on wet algae-covered rocks.

Thank you for your help,
Phil

Cryptops
Thanks for the identification and the pdf (which I am about to print out)! I would love to send you specimens, but sadly I am nowhere near them right now. We make it over to the beach about once every 3-4 months. The next time we go, I can try to see if I can find some more. I don't know how abundant they are, as I only saw the one individual. In order to take a specimen, do I just dump it into alcohol? And if so, what type do you recommend?

By the way, do you know of any published keys, field guides, or other comprehensive id resources for centipedes?

Thanks again, Phil

Moved

Cryptops sp.
The genus is definitely Cryptops. The only Cryptops known from the western U.S. is the introduced C. hortensis from Europe, but I'm suspicious this may not be hortensis since that species a) is associated with developed areas and as far as I know isn't recorded from a shoreline habitat, and b) seldom exceeds an inch in length.

If you are willing to send me a few specimens I would be very interested in examining them. Cryptops is a worldwide genus and it's very likely this could be a newly introduced species.

Strigamia maritima is a European species of geophilomorph centipede, but several other intertidal centipedes (mostly geophilomorphs) are known from North America. They apparently eat amphipods, barnacles, worms etc., and some can survive immersed in salt water for some time. They are fascinating -- if you're interested here's a link to a review paper on intertidal centipedes and millipedes:

http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/publikationen/soilorganisms/volume_81_3/33_barber.pdf

Cropped and moved for expert attention
Moved from ID Request.

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