Littoral Centipede Tuoba laticeps (Pocock, 1891)
Fauna Portal species: 418
Tuoba laticeps adult, dorsal (HBI N34202-6; Barrow Island, Western Australia)
Image: V.W. Framenau (2025)
Fauna Portal Image No. 10395Diagnosis
(after Jones 1998): The four species of littoral centipedes which are known to occur in the region can easily be separated by leg numbers and the size of the last pair of legs. Tuoba sydneyensis has 39-55 pairs of legs and the last legs are comparatively long. Tuoba laticeps has 43-59 pairs of legs but the last legs are comparatively short and not much longer than the walking legs. The antennae differ in length being much longer in the former but in preserved specimens the antennae often shrink in length, the antennomeres being telescoped inside one another.
Tuoba pallida has been found in Western Australia so far. It has 55-59 pairs of legs, comparatively long thin last legs coupled with its very pale, almost white, colouring make iteasy to identify. However, at the present state of knowledge of Australian centipedes, it should be borne in mind that there may be similar species which have not yet been recorded.
Tuoba xylophaga, with 57-67 pairs of legs, is found only in New Zealand where it should not cause any problems.
Linnean Holotype
Australia
- Tasmania
- Western Australia
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.