Hemiscolopendra marginata
| Hemiscolopendra marginata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Chilopoda |
| Order: | Scolopendromorpha |
| Family: | Scolopendridae |
| Genus: | Hemiscolopendra |
| Species: | H. marginata |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemiscolopendra marginata (Say, 1821) | |
 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Hemiscolopendra marginata, the eastern bark centipede, is a common species of centipede found in the Eastern United States and parts of Mexico.[2][3][4] The species commonly shelters beneath loose bark on dead or fallen trees. H. marginata is the first centipede species shown to exhibit sexual dimorphism in venom composition.[5]
Appearance
[edit]Hemiscolopendra marginata is a moderate-sized scolopendrid centipede. Examined specimens have ranged from 27.8 to 54.8 mm in length and 2.7 to 7.8 mm in width.[4] The species lacks the distoventral spur on the first tarsi of the ambulatory legs, a feature that distinguishes it from species of Scolopendra.[4]
Ecology and Behavior
[edit]Hemiscolopendra marginata is a predatory species that primarily feeds on invertebrates, typically found beneath loose bark or within decaying wood. Like several other centipede species, females exhibit maternal care, guarding eggs and early juveniles.[5]
Venom
[edit]Research has demonstrated that Hemiscolopendra marginata exhibits sex-based differences in venom composition. A 2019 study using chromatographic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses found that male and female individuals produce venoms with substantially different toxin profiles. Male venom was dominated by ion-channel–modulating toxins and several previously undescribed toxin types, whereas female venom contained higher concentrations of γ-glutamyl transferases and CAP proteins (cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and pathogenesis-related 1 proteins). This study represents the first documented example of sexual variation in venom composition in a centipede.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Hemiscolopendra marginata". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ↑ Nguyen, Vy (2022-03-08). "13 Common Types of Centipedes (with Range Maps)". ThePetEnthusiast. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
- ↑ "Hemiscolopendra marginata". The Encyclopedia of Life.
- 1 2 3 Shelley, Rowland (2008-01-01). "Revision of the Centipede Genus Hemiscolopendra Kraepelin, 1903: Description of H. marginata (Say, 1821) and possible misidentifications as Scolopendra spp.; proposal of Akymnopellis, n. gen., and redescriptions of its South American components (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae: Scolopendrinae)". International Journal of Myriapodology. 1 (2): 171–204. doi:10.1163/187525408X395931. ISSN 1875-2535. S2CID 84010447.
- 1 2 3 Nystrom, Gunnar S.; Ward, Micaiah J.; Ellsworth, Schyler A.; Rokyta, Darin R. (November 2019). "Sex-based venom variation in the eastern bark centipede (Hemiscolopendra marginata)". Toxicon. 169: 45–58. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.08.001. ISSN 1879-3150. PMID 31445069. S2CID 201644874.
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