Red-headed Centipede Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758
Fauna Portal species: 426
Scolopendra morsitans, dorsal (HBI N18229-1; Barrow Island, Western Australia)
Image: V.W. Framenau (2026)
Fauna Portal Image No. 15709Diagnosis
(after Koch 1982): Lateral margins starting before (occasionally on) tergite XVIII (S. laeta: often distinct only on tergite 19 to 21); porose area of coxopleura of anal-leg extending, on each side of median ridge of process, to posterior edge of coxopleura; antennae with 20 or 21 (sometimes 19, rarely 17, 18, 22 or 23) segments; ultimate leg prefemora long (length mostly 2.5–3.0 times width); adult size moderate to large (85-127 mm) (S. laeta: 31–65 mm).
Status
- native
Fauna Portal Records
The map shows all records that have been verified as part of the Fauna Portal project and may not represent the true distribution of a species. Specifically, for described species, check the link to the Atlas of Living Australia on this page for potential wider distributions. Fauna Portal Reference specimens and Linnean types are shown in red. If you identified a specimen that exceeds the distribution of an undescribed species as illustrated here, please contact the Fauna Portal team who can assist with the lodgement of the specimen in a public institution and display on the map.
Publications
(1983): Morphological characters of Australian scolopendrid centipedes, and the taxonomy and distribution of Scolopendra morsitans L. (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae: Scolopendrinae). Australian Journal of Zoology. 31: 79 - 91
(1982): Taxonomy of the centipede Scolopendra laeta Haase (Chilopoda:Scolopendridae) in Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 76: 125 - 140