# Biggest British Centipede?



## peejay (Jun 13, 2009)

Hi everyone,
There's not much info about British centipedes on the net.  I wonder what the largest Lithobius species is?
I was breaking up my back doorstep and found a Lithobius with a 4cm bodylength - much bigger than I have ever seen before, and almost twice as long as it's supposed to be.
It made me wonder if it was an unusual species or just an oversized normal species.
Also - what is the largest species of Lithobius in Britain?
Thanks,
          Peejay


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## cacoseraph (Jun 13, 2009)

i thought there was a Cryptops species of Scolopendromorpha in at least some parts of Britain


yeah

http://www.naturespot.co.uk/UK Wildlife/Arthropods/CryptopsHortensis.html


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## Greg Pelka (Jun 14, 2009)

Yes, We have C. hortensis in Europe, but AFAIK it's the smallest Scolopendromorpha specie 
I've seen ~3,5 cm BL Lithobius sp. here in Poland.


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## calum (Jun 14, 2009)

the biggest I've seen are Lithobiomorpha here in britain. there are longer ones though.


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## millipeter (Jun 17, 2009)

The biggest species of Lithobus is the very common species L. forficatus with max. 3cm. But they appear much bigger whith there terminal legs and if they are running. So most people guess them bigger than they really are. 

Most Geophilomorph centipedes are bigger than L. forficatus. The real giants og centipedes in Britain are Henia vesuviana (-6cm) and Stigmatogaster subterraneus (-7cm). >HERE< is a picture of the biggest specimen of S. subterraneus I have ever seen reching about 9cm length.


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