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Allothereua maculata
Species of arthropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Allothereua maculata is a species of centipedes found in Australia known as the house centipede – a name applied elsewhere to other species.[1]
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Description
The body of Allothereua maculata is made up of 15 segments and bears 15 pairs of long legs.[1][2] The body is pale brown with dark markings, and grows to 20–25 millimetres (0.8–1.0 in) long.[2][1] It bears one pair of antennae on the head and a similarly long pair of caudal appendages at the tail end. These organisms have a lot of small hairs and spindle-like bodies so scientists Haase and Heathcote believed that these features can behave as an organ but later discovered that it is not true; they have other functions. There was only limited research done but they understand that it was probably created to help with adaption.[1]
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Distribution
Allothereua maculata is the most common scutigeromorph centipede across southern Australia,[3] occurring from Western Australia to Queensland.[4]
Ecology
Allothereua maculata lives in urban areas and woodland.[3] Its occurrence in houses indicates that it prefers dampness and a lack of ventilation.[2] A. maculata is a predator of insects and other arthropods, but is generally considered harmless.[1]
References
Further reading
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