A new species of Omukade was discovered in Japan for the first time in 143 years by research teams from Hosei University Professor Satoshi Shimano, Tokyo Metropolitan University, National Science Museum, and National Taiwan University.
The new species of Scolopendridae discovered this time is a semi-aquatic centipede that lives on land and in water, and has the habit of escaping into the water and hiding itself when it feels dangerous.It inhabits deep forests in the northern part of the main island of Okinawa (Yanbaru region), Kumejima, Iriomote / Ishigakijima, Tokashikijima, and Taiwan.It has been witnessed preying on Japan's largest river shrimp, "Konjintenaga shrimp" (around 20 cm in length), which inhabits the area.In the past, one species of semi-aquatic centipede was reported from Laos, Vietnam and Thailand in 2, and one species from the Philippines in 10, which is the third case in the world and the first discovery in Japan.
The scientific name is "Scolopendra alcyona".It is named after the Greek goddess Archione, which has a beautiful turquoise body color and jumps into the river, similar to the centipede, which is also a beautiful body color bird. , The Japanese name was named "Ryujin Omukade (Ryujin Daihyakusho)" after the story of Okinawa related to centipede.
Five species of Scolopendra, including this species, are distributed in Japan, but the new species of Scolopendra are described from Japan in 5 by the Germans Scolopendra japonica and Scolopendra mutilans. It's been 1878 years since the new species was listed.In addition, it is the first time that a species of the genus Scolopendridae has been described and named by the hands of the Japanese.
This scolopendridae has been rumored locally for some time, and this time the research team confirmed it academically.Taira Taira (Ashimuri no Sato), Takeshi Sasaki (Ryukyu University Museum), Zensho Toyama (3rd year student at Hentona High School, Okinawa Prefecture), Fumiho Sato (Kumejima Firefly Museum, Director) and many others cooperated in the research. ..