k2_state1of2=2. <FONT COLOR="#660099">Cephalic plate<FONT COLOR="#666666"> never overlapping 1st tergite; never with posteriolateral sclerites and longitudinal furrows; opening of <FONT COLOR="#CC6600">spiracles<FONT COLOR="#666666"> oval or sub-circular, flat or depressed, with long axis of spiracle at right angles to long axis of body; <FONT COLOR="#336600">spine<FONT COLOR="#666666"> is usually present on tarsus 1 of all legs except terminal pair (often 2 in anterior legs).&nextCha1=Subfamily <FONT COLOR="#993300">Otostigminae.<P></P><B>Go to character 8.</B></FONT COLOR>&k2_state2of2=2. <FONT COLOR="#660099">Cephalic plate<FONT COLOR="#666666"> sometimes overlapping, often underlying, occasionally abutting with a straight edge to the 1st tergite; sometimes with posteriolateral sclerites and 2 longitudinal furrows; opening of <FONT COLOR="#CC6600">spiracles<FONT COLOR="#666666"> triangular or slitlike, acutely angled at anterior end; long axis of spiracle parallel to long axis of body; tarsus 1 of legs 1-19 (20) with one or no <FONT COLOR="#336600">spine.&nextCha2=Subfamily <FONT COLOR="#993300">Scolopendrinae.<P></P><FONT COLOR="#993300"><B>Go to character 3.</B></FONT COLOR>&scolopendridae=The <FONT COLOR="#660033"><B>Scolopendridae</B> <FONT COLOR="#666666"> include all the large centipedes. Among them is <I>Scolopendra gigantea</I>, the largest centipede in the world, at 300 mm. Scolopendrids have a rhomboid cluster of four ocelli and may be coloured yellow, brown orange, green or red; some species exhibit black or dark blue markings. The final pair of legs may be highly modified, forming grasping appendages (Hoffman 1982: 684).
This family is divided into two subfamilies: the Otostigminae (8 genera, 150 species) and the Scolopendrinae (20 genera, 200 species), both distributed predominantly throughout the tropics, including Australia and the southern part of the Northern Hemisphere (Hoffman 1982: 684). Nine genera and 40 described species are recorded for Australia.Three undescribed species have been reported.
The systematics and taxonomy of Australian scolopendrid centipedes has been the subject of a series of papers by L.E. Koch. These include morphological, phylogenetic and zoogeographic studies (Koch, 1983, Koch and Burgman, 1984, Koch and Colless, 1986) as well as taxonomic treatments of Australian species of the genera <I>Cormocephalus, Ethmostigmus, Arthrorhabdus, Rhysida</I> and <I>Scolopendra</I>.
References
Hoffmann, R.L. (1982). Chilopoda.  pp. 681 - 688 in Parker, S. (ed.) Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms.  New York: McGraw-Hill Vol. 2
Koch, L.E. (1983). Morphological characters of Australian scolopendrid centipedes, and the taxonomy and distribution of <I>Scolopendra morsitans</I> Linnaeus (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae: Scolopendrinae).  Aust. J. Zool. 31: 79 - 91.
Koch, L.E. and Burgmann, M.A. (1984). The zoogeography and phylogenetic relationships of three genera of Australian scolopendrid centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae).  Aust. J. Zool. 32: 507 - 518.
Koch, L.E. and Colless, D.H. (1986) Numerical taxonomy of Australian species of nine genera of scolopendrid centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae). Aust. J. Zool. 34: 87-105.