| Nannarrup | |
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| Genus: | Nannarrup Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003 [1]
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| Species: | N. hoffmani
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| Binomial name | |
| Nannarrup hoffmani Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003 [1]
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Nannarup is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae; this genus includes a single species, Nannarrup hoffmani,[2][3] also known as Hoffman's dwarf centipede.[4] This centipede was discovered in Central Park in New York City and was the first new species to be discovered in that park in more than a century.[4] This species has 41 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in the family Mecistocephalidae, and is also the smallest species in this family, measuring only 10.3 mm in length.[5][6] Researchers believe the species originated in East Asia and was carried to the United States in imported plants.[7]
Discovery[edit]
This genus and its type species N. hoffmani were first described in 2003 by a team of biologists led by Donatella Foddai. This team based the original description of this species on ten specimens, including an adult female holotype collected in April 1998 from leaf litter in the North Woods of Central Park. These specimens also include nine paratypes (eight juveniles and fragments of another specimen) collected in September 1998 from leaf litter in the Ramble in Central Park. The holotype and eight of hte paratypes are deposited in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.[5]
These specimens were collected by a team of researchers led by Liz Johnson and Kefyn Catley of the American Museum of Natural History.[8][7] This team collected samples of leaf litter from Central Park to conduct research on the health of the park's ecosystem for the Central Park Conservancy, hoping to learn how to best preserve this ecosystem.[4][7][8] The team searched through twigs, fungi, and decaying leaves mixed with soil to collect specimens for identification by taxonomists. These researchers sent a collection of their myriapod specimens to the American entomologist Richard L. Hoffman, who was then the curator of invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, for identification. Hoffman could not identify some of these specimens and passed them on biologists in Italy who specialize in myriapods.[4][8]
These biologist recognized the newly discovered centipede as representing not only a new species but also a species so distinctive as to merit placement in a new genus.[8][4] The genus name Nannarrup derives from the Greek word nannos, meaning dwarf (a reference to the small size of the newly discovered centipede), and Arrup, the name of the genus that most closely resembles this new centipede. The name of the species honors Hoffman, who forwarded the specimens on which the original description of this species is based.[5]
Description[edit]
The female holotype measures 10.3 mm in length, and all specimens have 41 leg pairs. The body (when preserved in alcohol) is a very pale yellow, but the head and forcipular segment is a pale ochre.[5] The antennae are long relative to the total length of the body.[5][4] This species features few coxal pores, which do not reach the dorsal side of the coxopleura.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Nannarrup hoffmani Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003". ChiloBase. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22.
- ^ 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). "Nannarrup Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003". ChiloBase 2.0 – A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ "ITIS - Report: Nannarrup". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Barbara Stewart (2002-07-24). "A new kind of New Yorker, one with 82 legs". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d e Foddai, Donatella; Bonato, Lucio; Pereira, Luis Alberto; Minelli, Alessandro (2003). "Phylogeny and systematics of the Arrupinae (Chilopoda Geophilomorpha Mecistocephalidae) with the description of a new dwarfed species". Journal of Natural History. 37 (10): 1247–1267. doi:10.1080/00222930210121672. ISSN 0022-2933.
- ^ Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro; Drago, Leandro; Pereira, Luis Alberto (2015-09-25). "The phylogenetic position of Dinogeophilus and a new evolutionary framework for the smallest epimorphic centipedes (Chilopoda: Epimorpha)". Contributions to Zoology. 84 (3): 237–253 [249]. doi:10.1163/18759866-08403004. hdl:11577/3146565. ISSN 1875-9866.
- ^ a b c "Centipede enjoys hustle and bustle". BBC News. 2002-07-26.
- ^ a b c d David Bjerklie (2002-08-05). "City centipede: an urban legend with real legs". Time. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008.
- ^ Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Zapparoli, Marzio (2011). "Chilopoda – Taxonomic overview". In Minelli, Alessandro (ed.). The Myriapoda. Volume 1. Leiden: Brill. pp. 363–443. ISBN 978-90-04-18826-6. OCLC 812207443.
External links[edit]
Data related to Nannarrup hoffmani at Wikispecies
