WoRMS taxon details

Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758

238245  (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:238245)

accepted
Genus
Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758 (type by subsequent designation)

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  1. Species Scolopendra flava De Geer, 1778 accepted as Geophilus flavus (De Geer, 1778) (basionym)
  2. Species Scolopendra majore,tubularia Baster, 1760 accepted as Sabella pavonina Savigny, 1822 (non-binominal name, and an annelid)
  3. Species Scolopendra subterranea Shaw, 1789 accepted as Stigmatogaster subterranea (Shaw, 1789) (basionym)
  4. Species Scolopendra marina Linnaeus, 1758 (uncertain > nomen dubium, indeterminable)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
feminine
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. <em>Editio decima, reformata [10th revised edition], vol. 1: 824 pp. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae.</em> , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 637 (639 for Scolopendra marina) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 
Etymology "It has been suggested that Scolopendra (Greek σκολόπενδρα) derives from σκόλοψ (“pointed”,”...  
Etymology "It has been suggested that Scolopendra (Greek σκολόπενδρα) derives from σκόλοψ (“pointed”,” sharp”) and έντερα (“guts” and, by extension, “earthworm”) literally “biting earthworms”" (Guasparri 2000 as cited in Barber 2014). [details]

Nomenclature On usage in Annelida. The genus Scolopendra Slabber, 1781 was considered by Nygren (2004: 115) as a nomen oblitum,...  
Nomenclature On usage in Annelida. The genus Scolopendra Slabber, 1781 was considered by Nygren (2004: 115) as a nomen oblitum, according to Article 23.9.1 of the ICZN (1999). However, there is no such genus as Slabber was simply using the Linnaean name (which is also pre-Linnaean). Nygren (2004: p.680) appeared to be considering that Scolopendra sensu Slabber was senior to the syllid genus Myrianda as he included Scolopendra as a synonym of Myrianda [details]

Taxonomy On usage in Annelida. There are numerous early mentions of Scolopendra annelids. Ashworth (1912: 1) explains that...  
Taxonomy On usage in Annelida. There are numerous early mentions of Scolopendra annelids. Ashworth (1912: 1) explains that "Aristotle recorded in his " Historia Animalium " the occurrence of marine scolopendrae, similar to their terrestrial congeners but somewhat smaller, redder in colour, and having a larger number of more slender feet. He stated that these animals are to be found in the neighbourhood of rocks, and that they do not occur in very deep water. The animals referred to were probably nereidiform worms. Aristotle also mentioned helminthes or intestinal worms. Pedacius Dioscorides described the use in medicine of Scolopendra marina, earthworms and leeches." [...] "Molyneux gave figures of the external characters and " an account of a not yet described Scolopendra marina," evidently an Aphrodite; Ellis described and figured tubicolous worms, and Peysonnel published "Observations upon the Sea Scolopendra," in which he described the external features and the action of the pharynx of a nereidiform worm." [p.5] "The first edition of Linnaeus' "Systema Naturae" (1735) marks no advance on previous knowledge as regards worms ; the only marine worm mentioned therein is Scolopendra marina, which is placed in the class Insecta." Ashworth notes that in the Gmelin edition of Systema Naturae there is "removal of the species Scolopendra marina from the Insecta, and its reduction to a synonym under Nereis versicolor and noctiluca" [details]

Nomenclature Scolopendra morsitans Linneaus, 1758 was designated as type species for Scolopendra by ICZN Opinion 454 (1957)  
Nomenclature Scolopendra morsitans Linneaus, 1758 was designated as type species for Scolopendra by ICZN Opinion 454 (1957) [details]
WoRMS (2024). Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=238245 on 2024-03-19
Date
action
by
2007-03-12 17:37:15Z
created
2007-05-08 09:21:04Z
changed
2008-03-26 11:36:43Z
changed
2014-10-29 10:50:40Z
changed
2017-01-27 01:16:07Z
changed
2017-02-14 04:49:58Z
changed
2017-02-22 02:54:16Z
changed

Creative Commons License The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License


original description Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. <em>Editio decima, reformata [10th revised edition], vol. 1: 824 pp. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae.</em> , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 637 (639 for Scolopendra marina) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

taxonomy source Ashworth, J.H. (1912). Catalogue of the Chaetopoda in the British Museum. A. Polychaeta: Part 1. Arenicolidae. London, British Museum of Natural History.
note: extensive comments on historic usages of Scolopendra and Scolopendra marina in relation to marine annelids [details]   

taxonomy source Siriwut, W.; Edgecombe, G.; Sutcharit, C.; Tongkerd, P.; Panha, S. (2016). A taxonomic review of the centipede genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) in mainland Southeast Asia, with description of a new species from Laos. <em>ZooKeys.</em> 590: 1-124., available online at http://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/7950/list/9/ [details]   

taxonomy source Barber, Anthony. (2014). Early records and names of British & Irish centipedes. <em>Bulletin of the British Myriapod and Isopod Group [BMIG].</em> 27: 43-52., available online at https://www.bmig.org.uk/sites/www.bmig.org.uk/files/bulletin/BullBMIG27(2014)p43-52_Barber-Early-Recs.pdf
note: comments on early usages of Scolopendra, including for marine worms [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 
 
 Present  Inaccurate  Introduced: alien  Containing type locality 
From editor or global species database
Editor's comment On usage in Annelida. Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 belongs in Arthropoda: Myriapoda: Chilopoda, which are the centipedes. However, pre-Linnaean and some subsequent usages of Scolopendra were for centipede-like annelids, notably "Scolopendra marina" (but also "Scolopendra major tubularia"). See Scolopendra marina for further explanation and examples. Note that Scolopendra Slabber, 1781 does not exist - Slabber was using the Linnaean name. [details]

Etymology "It has been suggested that Scolopendra (Greek σκολόπενδρα) derives from σκόλοψ (“pointed”,” sharp”) and έντερα (“guts” and, by extension, “earthworm”) literally “biting earthworms”" (Guasparri 2000 as cited in Barber 2014). [details]

Nomenclature On usage in Annelida. The genus Scolopendra Slabber, 1781 was considered by Nygren (2004: 115) as a nomen oblitum, according to Article 23.9.1 of the ICZN (1999). However, there is no such genus as Slabber was simply using the Linnaean name (which is also pre-Linnaean). Nygren (2004: p.680) appeared to be considering that Scolopendra sensu Slabber was senior to the syllid genus Myrianda as he included Scolopendra as a synonym of Myrianda [details]

Taxonomy On usage in Annelida. There are numerous early mentions of Scolopendra annelids. Ashworth (1912: 1) explains that "Aristotle recorded in his " Historia Animalium " the occurrence of marine scolopendrae, similar to their terrestrial congeners but somewhat smaller, redder in colour, and having a larger number of more slender feet. He stated that these animals are to be found in the neighbourhood of rocks, and that they do not occur in very deep water. The animals referred to were probably nereidiform worms. Aristotle also mentioned helminthes or intestinal worms. Pedacius Dioscorides described the use in medicine of Scolopendra marina, earthworms and leeches." [...] "Molyneux gave figures of the external characters and " an account of a not yet described Scolopendra marina," evidently an Aphrodite; Ellis described and figured tubicolous worms, and Peysonnel published "Observations upon the Sea Scolopendra," in which he described the external features and the action of the pharynx of a nereidiform worm." [p.5] "The first edition of Linnaeus' "Systema Naturae" (1735) marks no advance on previous knowledge as regards worms ; the only marine worm mentioned therein is Scolopendra marina, which is placed in the class Insecta." Ashworth notes that in the Gmelin edition of Systema Naturae there is "removal of the species Scolopendra marina from the Insecta, and its reduction to a synonym under Nereis versicolor and noctiluca" [details]

From other sources
Nomenclature Scolopendra morsitans Linneaus, 1758 was designated as type species for Scolopendra by ICZN Opinion 454 (1957) [details]