Maoriella Explained

Maoriella is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. It was described by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems in 1903.^[1] Species in this genus are found in New Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti.

Description

The head and forcipules in this genus are very elongate, the coxosternite of the second maxillae is divided mid-longitudinally without sclerotized ridges, and the sternal pores are arranged in two pairs of groups. Centipedes in this genus range from about 3 cm to 9 cm in length and have 41 to 91 pairs of legs.^[2] The large species Maoriella aucklandica can reach 90 mm in length and can have as many as 91 leg pairs, the maximum number in this genus.^[3] The small species M. zelanica measures 28 mm in length^[4] and can have as few as 41 leg pairs, the minimum number in this genus.^[5]

Species

There are six valid species:^[1]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Bonato L. . Chagas Junior A. . Edgecombe G.D. . Lewis J.G.E. . Minelli A. . Pereira L.A. . Shelley R.M. . Stoev P. . Zapparoli M. . 2016 . ChiloBase 2.0 . A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda) . Rosario Dioguardi and Giuseppe Cortese, University of Padua. 19 March 2023.
2. 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.
3. Book: Attems, Carl . Lfg. 52 Myriapoda, 1: Geophilomorpha . De Gruyter . 1929 . 978-3-11-143063-8 . 279 . de . 10.1515/9783111430638.
4. Chamberlin . Ralph V. . 1920 . The Myriopoda of the Australian region . Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College . 64 . 1-269 [48-49] . Biodiversity Heritage Library.
5. Crabill . R.E. . 1964 . A preliminary review of Maoriella with description of a new species from the Chatham Islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Chilenophilidae) . Entomological News . 75 . 4 . 85-97 [89, 93] . Biodiversity Heritage Library.