Himantarium gabrielis explained

Himantarium gabrielis is a species of centipede in the family Himantariidae.^{[1] [2]}

Description

Himantarium gabrielis can reach a length around 13cm-22cmcm (05inches-09inchescm). The head is small and lacks eyes, but has two tentacles with 14 segments. On the dorsal side of the last trunk segment are longitudinal and transversal wide sulci resembling a cross. The body is yellowish to orange in colour with a pinkish/red stripe on the lower side and has up to 179 segments, with a pair of legs each. The number of legs is very variable, usually leg-bearing segments vary from 87 to 171 in males and from 95 to 179 in females.^[3]

When disturbed, this species emits viscous and proteinaceous secretions from the sternal glands.^[4] It feeds on various invertebrates. It can be found under stones or in galleries into the ground.^[5] The females protect their eggs with the body until the hatching of their young.^[6]

Distribution

This species is widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. It can be found in Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and Switzerland.^[7]

Further reading

• Linnaeus C. "Systema Naturae per regna tria nature, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio duodecima, reformata" Holmiae. 1767: 533–1327, see p. 1063.
• Minelli A., Bonato L. (2006) "European geophilomorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha): a complete synonymical list with taxonomic and nomenclatural notes"

External links

• Natura Mediterraneo
• Le monde des insectes

Notes and References

1. https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id89877/ Biolib
2. https://chilobase.biologia.unipd.it/searches/result_species/3397 ChiloBase: A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda) for the web
3. Simaiakis . Stylianos Michail . 2009-12-01 . Relationship between intraspecific variation in segment number and geographic distribution of Himantarium gabrielis (Linné, 1767) (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha) in Southern Europe . Soil Organisms . en . 81 . 3 . 359–371 [360] . 2509-9523.
4. Vujisić . LV . Vučković . IM . Makarov . SE . Ilić . BS . Antić . DZ . Jadranin . MB . Todorović . NM . Mrkić . IV . Vajs . VE . Lučić . LR . Curčić . BP . Mitić . BM . 1 . 2013 . Chemistry of the sternal gland secretion of the Mediterranean centipede Himantarium gabrielis (Linnaeus, 1767) (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Himantariidae) . Naturwissenschaften . 23907296 . 10.1007/s00114-013-1086-6 . 100 . 861–70.
5. http://herramientas.educa.madrid.org/animalandia/ficha.php?id=3931 Animalandia
6. http://villenatura.blogspot.it/2011/05/himantarium-gabrielis.html Ville Natura
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115952/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=375242 Fauna europaea