Ballophilus Explained

Ballophilus is the largest genus of centipedes in the clade Ballophilidae.^[1] Species in this genus are found in tropical and subtropical regions, mainly in Africa and southeast Asia.

Species

There are about 40 species, including:^[2]

• Ballophilus alluaudi
• Ballophilus australiae
• Ballophilus braunsi
• Ballophilus clavicornis
• Ballophilus comastes
• Ballophilus conservatus
• Ballophilus differens
• Ballophilus fijiensis
• Ballophilus filiformis
• Ballophilus flavescens
• Ballophilus foresti
• Ballophilus giganteus
• Ballophilus granulosus
• Ballophilus hounselli
• Ballophilus insperatus
• Ballophilus kraepelini
• Ballophilus latisternus
• Ballophilus lawrencei
• Ballophilus liber
• Ballophilus maculosus
• Ballophilus maldivensis
• Ballophilus mauritianus
• Ballophilus neocaledonicus
• Ballophilus pallidus
• Ballophilus paucipes
• Ballophilus pedadanus
• Ballophilus peruanus
• Ballophilus polypus
• Ballophilus pygmaeus
• Ballophilus ramirezi
• Ballophilus riveroi
• Ballophilus rouxi
• Ballophilus sabesinus
• Ballophilus smaragdus
• Ballophilus taenioformis
• Ballophilus tercrux

Description

Centipedes in this genus feature distinctly club-like antennae and circumscribed sternal pore-fields that are subcircular or transversally elliptical, range from about 1 cm to about 7 cm in length, and have 37 to 91 pairs of legs.^[3] The Asian species Ballophilus pallidus measures only 11 mm in length and can have as few as 37 leg pairs (37 or 39 in males, 41 in females), the minimum number found in this genus.^[4] Both B. fijiensis and B. giganteus can have as many as 91 leg pairs, the maximum number found in this genus, but B. giganteus is also notable for its large size, reaching 75 mm in length.^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Pereira . Luis Alberto . Foddai . Donatella . Minelli . Alessandro . 1996-12-01 . First Record of a Ballophilid Centipede from Argentina with a Description of Ballophilus ramirezi n.sp. (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Ballophilidae) . Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment . 31 . 3-4 . 170–178 . 10.1076/snfe.31.3.170.13335 . 0165-0521.
2. Web site: ITIS Standard Report Page: Ballophilus. 2021-06-17. www.itis.gov.
3. Book: Bonato . Lucio . The Myriapoda. Volume 1 . Edgecombe . Gregory D. . Zapparoli . Marzio . Brill . 2011 . 978-90-04-18826-6 . Minelli . Alessandro . Leiden . 363–443 . Chilopoda – Taxonomic overview . 812207443.
4. Attems . C. . 1938 . Die von Dr. C. Dawydoff in französisch Indochina gesammelten Myriopoden . Mémoires du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris . Nouvelle Série . German . 6 . 2 . 187-353 [323] . Biodiversity Heritage Library.
5. Chamberlain . Ralph V. . 1920 . The Myriopoda of the Australian Region . Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College . 64 . 1-269 [37] . Biodiversity Heritage Library.
6. Demange . J.-M. . 1963 . Chilopoda: La Réserve Naturelle Integrale du Mont Nimba . Mémoires de l'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire . French . 66 . 5 . 41-118 [68].