CHILOPODA (centipedes) > GEOPHILOMORPHA (soil centipedes) > Schendylidae

The previous account for Geophilus truncorum was written before I found my first Schendyla nemorensis, so there's a bit of a repetition here when comparing the species.

Obviously, the colour and general appearance can vary from one individual to another, but the first thing that struck me when I found these is, that for the greater length of their body, they really are rather colourless and certainly noticeably paler than Geophilus truncorum. They are usually referred to as being either pale yellow or straw-coloured with the anterior end being a tad darker and, from those I've now seen, I think that's a fair description given that Geophilus truncorum is described as pale yellow to light orangish-brown.

They were also slightly longer at around 20mm and the length to breadth ratio correspondingly greater at just about 30:1 as the 'key'. Similarly with the length of the antennae, which proportionally seem longer. The general shape of the head and the forcipular tergite are slightly different and, although marginal, also seem to agree with the 'key'.

Importantly though, they have 41 pairs of legs (the range for Schendyla nemorensis being 37-43) with the final pair definitely thicker and longer. The shape of the final pair of trailing legs is quite distinctive and is an important visual aid for identifying this species. They are somewhat swollen in both sexes with the telopodite (the segments after the coxa) being slightly more than 1.5 times the length of the preceding legs.

The final photo of one together with a Trombidiidae red velvet-mite gives an indication of their size.    

As with many centipedes, distribution data is sparce, but the species is regarded as common and certainly widespread across central and southern counties, but possibly rarer further north. It can be found both inland and in coastal areas, but is not currently associated with any particular habitats.