15 Chilopoda – Ecology

Voigtländer, Karin

doi:10.1163/9789004188266_016

Cited by 28 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Venom from a gland at the forcipule base kills prey via injection (Malta et al 2008;Dugon and Arthur 2012a,b). Centipedes are thought to feed predominantly on prey alive (Voigtländer 2011), which are generally seized with the anterior legs then envenimated via a stabbing motion of the forcipules (Dugon and Arthur 2012b). There are records of them killing several types of animals, such as frogs, snakes and bats (McCormick and Polis 1982;Forti et al 2007;Srbek-Araujo et al 2012).…”

Section: Amazonicamentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation of bat (Molossus molossus: Molossidae) by the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis (Scolopendridae) in Southern Amazonia

et al. 2015

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Centipedes are opportunistic carnivore predators, and large species can feed on a wide variety of vertebrates, including bats. The aim of this study was to report the third record of bat predation by centipedes worldwide, the first record in the Amazon region, while covering aspects of foraging, capture and handling of prey. We observed the occurence in a fortuitous encounter at Cristalino State Park, located in the Amazon region of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The attack took place in a small wooden structure, at about three meters from the floor, and was observed for 20 minutes. During the observation, the centipede stung the neck and abdominal region of the bat several times, grabbing the prey with its 15 pairs of front legs while hanging from the ceiling with its hind legs. This type of observation suggests that vertebrates can be important preys for invertebrates such as giant centipedes, both for its nutritional composition and for the amount of energy available in a single prey. KEYWORDS: Chilopoda; Chiroptera; feeding behavior. Predação de morcego (Molossus molossus: Molossidae) pela centopeia Scolopendra viridicornis (Scolopendridae) no sul da Amazônia RESUMOCentopeias são predadores carnívoros oportunistas e grandes espécies podem se alimentar de uma grande variedade de vertebrados, inclusive de morcegos. O objetivo desse trabalho é reportar o terceiro registro de predação de morcego por centopeia, e o primeiro para a região Amazônica, abrangendo aspectos do forrageamento, captura e manipulação da presa. O registro foi realizado de forma fortuita, no Parque Estadual do Cristalino, região de Floresta Amazônica, no estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. O ataque ocorreu em uma estrutura de madeira a cerca de três metros de altura e foi observado por 20 minutos. Durante a observação, a centopeia picou várias vezes o pescoço e região abdominal do morcego, agarrando a presa com seus 15 pares de pernas anteriores e se pendurando ao teto com as pernas posteriores. Esse tipo de observação sugere que vertebrados podem ser importantes presas para invertebrados, como centopeias gigantes, tanto por sua composição nutricional quanto pela quantidade de energia disponível em uma única presa.

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Section: Amazonicamentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation of bat (Molossus molossus: Molossidae) by the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis (Scolopendridae) in Southern Amazonia

et al. 2015

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“…Although all centipedes are thought to be opportunistic predators rather than specialist feeders, their predatory behavior is strongly correlated to their morphotype and the specific ecological niche they occupy (Voigtländer 2011). Three main morphotypes were identified by Manton (1977): (1) running type (Scutigeromorpha and Lithobiomorpha), (2) burrowing type (Geophilomorpha), and (3) intermediate type (Scolopendromorpha and Craterostigmomorpha).…”

Section: Predatory Behavior and Prey Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prey are located through olfactory and tactile cues and attacks usually take place on open grounds (Voigtländer 2011). The diet of the common house centipede Evolution of Venomous Animals andTheir Toxins DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6727-0_1-1 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 Scutigera coleoptrata is composed of a variety of flying and terrestrial arthropods, including spiders and small centipedes (Lewis 1981).…”

Section: Predatory Behavior and Prey Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lithobiomorphs are opportunistic ambush and foraging predators, locating their prey through direct contact with their legs or their antennae (Voigtländer 2011). Prey are seized with the forcipules and kept firmly close to the mouth.…”

Section: Predatory Behavior and Prey Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prey are seized with the forcipules and kept firmly close to the mouth. Although most lithobiomorphs hunt small prey under the cover of the leaf litter, stones, and logs, some species are known to climb trees in search of small insects (Voigtländer 2011). In British woodlands, a large array of insects, arachnids, and worms seem to constitute the diet of Lithobius forficatus (Lewis 1981).…”

Section: Predatory Behavior and Prey Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolution, Morphology and Development of the Centipede Venom System

Dugon¹

2015

Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins

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With approximately 3,500 species distributed across five extant orders, centipedes (class Chilopoda) make the second most speciose class among the subphylum Myriapoda. The most conspicuous synapomorphic character of centipedes is certainly the modification of the first pair of legs into powerful venomous forceps (the forcipules). The venom gland encased in each forcipule produces a potent cocktail of paralytic toxins delivered into prey and opponents via a cuticular duct which opens on the subterminal part of the apical claw. It has been hypothesized that this modification, unique in the animal world, results from the folding of the outer cuticle of the walking legs and the transformation of related subepidermal gland units into venom-producing cells as an adaptation to a new terrestrial predatory niche over 430 million years ago, thus making centipedes one of the most ancient known clade of terrestrial venomous organisms. However, despite their global distribution, synanthropic habits, and reputation for inflicting painful stings, little is known about centipedes and their venom system. This chapter reviews the current knowledge on the development, the evolutionary trajectory, the anatomy, the physiology, and the predatory ecology of centipedes, with a strong emphasis on the forcipular apparatus.

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Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs

Susanti

Pollierer

Widyastuti

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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In the last decades, lowland tropical rainforest has been converted in large into plantation systems. Despite the evident changes above ground, the effect of rainforest conversion on the channeling of energy in soil food webs was not studied. Here, we investigated community‐level neutral lipid fatty acid profiles in dominant soil fauna to track energy channels in rainforest, rubber, and oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. Abundant macrofauna including Araneae, Chilopoda, and Diplopoda contained high amounts of plant and fungal biomarker fatty acids (FAs). Lumbricina had the lowest amount of plant, but the highest amount of animal‐synthesized C20 polyunsaturated FAs as compared to other soil taxa. Mesofauna detritivores (Collembola and Oribatida) contained high amounts of algal biomarker FAs. The differences in FA profiles between taxa were evident if data were analyzed across land‐use systems, suggesting that soil fauna of different size (macro‐ and mesofauna) are associated with different energy channels. Despite that, rainforest conversion changed the biomarker FA composition of soil fauna at the community level. Conversion of rainforest into oil palm plantations enhanced the plant energy channel in soil food webs and reduced the bacterial energy channel; conversion into rubber plantations reduced the AMF‐based energy channel. The changes in energy distribution within soil food webs may have significant implications for the functioning of tropical ecosystems and their response to environmental changes. At present, these responses are hard to predict considering the poor knowledge on structure and functioning of tropical soil food webs.

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15 Chilopoda – Ecology

Cited by 28 publications

References 0 publications

Predation of bat (Molossus molossus: Molossidae) by the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis (Scolopendridae) in Southern Amazonia

Predation of bat (Molossus molossus: Molossidae) by the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis (Scolopendridae) in Southern Amazonia

Evolution, Morphology and Development of the Centipede Venom System

Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs

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