Currently the only genus in the family Mecistocephalidae in Australia.
Soil Centipedes
Mecistocephalidae (Bollman, 1893)
Type genus: Mecistocephalus Newport, 1843
(after Bonato et al. 2014): Only family in suborder Placodesmata, which is charecterised by, amongst other autopomorphic characters: head much elongate, with lateral margins distinctly converging backwards; cephalic pleurites differentiated mesally into a non-areolate band and a marginal sclerotized stilus; no paralabial sclerites and tentorium poorly sclerotized; epipharynx without spine circlets around sensilla and hypopharynx with lateral longitudinal clefts and sclerotized bars; first maxillae
with relatively elongate coxosternite, and coxal projections remarkably wider than telopodites, both terminating with a distinctly hyaline part; second maxillae with minute simple claws; forcipular coxosternite remarkably elongate, the pleurites projecting anteriorly into scapular points and displaced dorsally so that the coxopleural sutures run anteriorly on the dorsal side; metasternites on the anterior part of the trunk bearing a distinct mid-longitudinal sulcus and extending posteriorly into an endosternite; metatergites of the posterior part of the trunk distinctly longer than those on the anterior
part.
Publications
Bonato L, Drago L, Murienne J (2014): Phylogeny of Geophilomorpha (Chilopoda) inferred from new morphological and molecular evidence. Cladistics. 30: 485 - 507
Harry Butler Institute
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N32160-2
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unknown
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3 May 2023
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Western Australia
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Marillana Station
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litter sieving
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COI
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ACCATATACCTTGTGTTCGGCGCATGAGCGGCCATACTTGGCACTGCCTTGAGCCTACTTATCCGCTTAGAACTAAGACAGCCAGGTAGATTAATCGGAGATGACCAAACATATAACGTAGTAGTGACAGCACACGCATTTGTAATAATCTTTTTTATAGTGATACCTATCATAATAGGGGGGTTTGGAAATTGACTACTCCCCCTCATATTAGGAGCCCCAGACATAGCTTTCCCTCGCTTAAACAACATGAGATTCTGGCTGCTACCCCCCTCCCTAACTCTCCTTCTTGCCTCCGCCGCCGTAGAGAGAGGAGCAGGGACAGGATGAACAGTGTATCCCCCCCTTGCCTCGGGGCTAGCCCACTCAGGAGCATCCGTTGACATAACAATCTTTTCCCTCCACTTAGCAGGGGCCTCCTCCATCCTAGGTGCAATCAACTTCATCACCACCGTAATCAACATGCGAACAAGAGGCATAGTAATAGAGCGAGTCCCCCTATTTGTATGAGGAGTAACAATCACAGCCATCTTACTTCTTCTTTCTCTCCCCGTTTTAGCAGGGGCCATTACTATACTTCTAACAGACCGTAATTTCAATACCAGCTTCTTTGACCCTGCGGGAGGAGGCGACCCTATTCTTTATCAACATCTTTT
Harry Butler Institute
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N30348-1
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1 juv.
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14 May 2022
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Western Australia
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44.95 km South-west Marble Bar
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day hand collection
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COI
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TTTTCGGTGCTTGAGCTTCAATAGTCGGAACAGCACTAAGATTAATCATTCGTCTAGAGCTTAGACAGCCAGGCAGTCTCATCGGAGACGACCAAACTTATAATGTAGTCGTTACCGCACATGCTTTCGTAATAATTTTTTTCATAGTAATACCCATTATAATAGGAGGATTTGGGAATTGGCTACTCCCTCTCATGTTAGGGGCACCAGACATGGCCTTCCCCCGACTTAACAACATAAGATTCTGACTTCTTCCCCCCTCTCTTATACTTCTTCTAGCCTCTGCAGCAGTTGAAAGAGGAGCAGGTACCGGATGAACTGTTTATCCCCCCCTTGCTTCTGGCTTAGCCCACTCTGGAGCTTCTGTTGACATAACTATTTTTTCGCTACATCTAGCAGGAATTTCTTCTATTCTAGGTGCTATTAACTTTATTACAACAATAATCAATATACGAACCAGAGGCATAGTATTTGAACGAATTCCCTTATTTGTCTGAGGAGTTAGTATCACTGCTGTCCTTCTACTACTCTCACTTCCAGTCTTAGCTGGAGCAATTACAATACTCCTCACAGATCGTAACTTTAATACAAGATTCTTTGACCCAGCCGGAGGGGGAGATCCAATTTTATACCAACACTTATT
Harry Butler Institute
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N30994-2
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unknown
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15 February 2023
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Western Australia
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Mt Sheila, Hamersley Range
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day hand collection
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COI
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AACCATATACCTTGTATTCGGAGCCTGGGCAGCTATGCTGGGCACCGCCCTAAGTCTCCTTATCCGCCTAGAACTTAGCCAGCCAGGAAGACTAATCGGAGACGACCAAACATATAACGTAGTAGTAACAGCTCATGCATTCGTAATAATCTTTTTTATAGTGATACCCATTATAATAGGCGGATTTGGAAATTGGCTCCTCCCCCTAATATTAGGTGCCCCAGACATAGCCTTCCCTCGATTAAATAACATAAGATTTTGACTCCTTCCCCCCTCCCTCACTCTTCTACTAGCCTCCGCCGCCGTAGAAAGAGGGGCCGGCACAGGATGAACAGTTTACCCCCCCCTTGCTTCAGGATTAGCCCACTCAGGGGCATCTGTTGATATAACAATTTTCTCCCTTCACTTGGCCGGAGCCTCTTCCATCTTAGGGGCAATTAACTTTATCACTACTGTAATTAACATACGAACAAGAGGCATGGTAATAGAACGAGTCCCCCTCTTTGTATGAGGCGTAACAATCACCGCTATTCTCCTCCTTCTCTCTCTCCCCGTCCTAGCAGGAGCCATCACTATATTACTAACTGACCGTAACTTCAATACCAGCTTCTTCGACCCGGCGGGAGGGGGGGATCCAATCCTCTATCAACATCTTTTC
Harry Butler Institute
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N30611-4
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unknown
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13 January 2023
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Western Australia
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Hamersley Range, near Mt Sheila
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day hand collection
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COI
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AACCATATACCTTGTATTCGGAGCCTGAGCGGCCATGCTAGGCACTGCCCTGAGTCTTCTTATCCGCCTAGAACTTAGCCAGCCAGGAAGATTAATCGGAGACGACCAAACATATAACGTCGTAGTAACGGCCCATGCATTTGTAATAATCTTCTTTATAGTAATACCCATCATAATAGGCGGATTTGGAAATTGACTTCTCCCCCTAATATTAGGTGCCCCAGACATGGCCTTTCCCCGGCTAAACAACATAAGCTTTTGGCTTCTTCCCCCCTCGCTCACCCTCCTTCTAGCCTCCGCCGCCGTAGAAAGAGGAGCCGGCACAGGGTGAACAGTCTATCCCCCCCTTGCCTCAGGATTAGCCCACTCAGGGGCGTCCGTTGACATAACAATTTTCTCCCTCCACTTGGCCGGGGCCTCCTCCATTCTAGGAGCAATTAACTTCATCACTACTGTAATTAACATACGAACAAGAGGAATAGTAATAGAACGAGTCCCCCTCTTTGTGTGAGGCGTAACAATTACCGCCATTCTGCTCCTCCTCTCTCTCCCCGTTCTAGCGGGGGCCATCACCATACTACTAACTGACCGCAATTTTAATACCAGCTTCTTCGATCCTGCAGGAGGAGGAGACCCCATCCTCTATCAACACCTTTTC
Harry Butler Institute
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N30629-3
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unknown
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12 January 2023
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Western Australia
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Hamersley Range, near Mt Sheila
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day hand collection
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COI
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AACCATATACCTTGTATTCGGAGCCTGAGCGGCCATGCTCGGCACTGCCCTGAGTCTTCTTATCCGCCTAGAACTTAGCCAGCCAGGAAGATTAATCGGAGACGACCAAACATATAACGTCGTAGTAACGGCCCATGCATTTGTAATAATCTTCTTTATAGTAATACCCATCATAATAGGCGGATTTGGAAATTGACTTCTCCCCCTAATATTAGGTGCCCCAGACATGGCCTTTCCCCGGTTAAACAACATAAGCTTTTGGCTTCTTCCCCCCTCGCTCACCCTCCTTCTAGCCTCCGCCGCCGTAGAAAGAGGAGCCGGCACAGGGTGAACAGTCTATCCCCCCCTTGCCTCAGGATTAGCCCACTCAGGGGCATCCGTTGACATAACAATTTTCTCCCTTCACTTGGCCGGGGCCTCCTCCATTCTAGGAGCAATTAACTTCATCACTACTGTAATTAACATACGAACAAGAGGAATAGTAATAGAACGAGTCCCCCTCTTTGTGTGAGGCGTAACAATTACCGCCATTCTGCTCCTCCTCTCTCTCCCCGTTCTAGCGGGGGCCATCACCATACTACTGACTGACCGCAATTTTAATACCAGCTTCTTCGACCCTGCAGGAGGAGGAGACCCCATCCTCTATCAACACCTTTTC