Chilopoda
No. of jars: 2352
No. of species: 409
Types: 146
Centipedes are soil-dwelling arthropods that occur in leaf litter and soil habitats. They are morphologically diverse, ranging in size from a few millimetres to about 30 cm. All centipedes are active hunters and poisonous, often injecting strong venoms into their prey. The body of centipedes is elongated and metameric, meaning that there is only one pair of leg per segment. Roughly 3000 species have been described globally.
The LIB collection is large and comprises more that 400 species and ca. 150 types that were described or purchased during the early 20th century by then world-renowned expert Karl Kraepelin. They represent species from all over the world although there is a focus on the Australian and South-Pacific bioregions. Large centipedes of the order Scolopendromorpha are well-represented by more than 200 species, followed by the soil centipedes (Geophilomorpha) with ca. 100 species. Overall, this collection of centipedes is one of the largest in Europe.
To the catalogues:
- Weidner, H., 1960: Die Entomologischen Sammlungen des Zoologischen Staatsinstituts und Zoologischen Museums Hamburg, III. Teil, Chilopoda und Progoneata. - Mitt. hamb. zool. Mus. Inst., 58: 57-104. [ PDF ]
- Rack, G., 1974: Die Entomologischen Sammlungen des Zoologischen Instituts und Zoologischen Museums der Universität Hamburg, III. Teil (Nachtrag), Chilopoda und Progoneata. - Mitt. hamb. zool. Mus. Inst., 70: 105-118. [ PDF ]