Scolopendra inaequidens, Gervais, 1847: 277 - 278

Shelley, Rowland M., 2006, A chronological catalog of the New World species of Scolopendra L., 1758 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), Zootaxa 1253 (1), pp. 1-50 : 11-12

inaequidens Gervais, 1847:277–278 (31 May; Jeekel (1971:382, endnote 70)).

Holotype: not known to exist, not present in MNHP (J.­J. Geoffroy, pers. comm.), not found in 2005; type locality: unknown; stated as New York, USA (uncertain whether New York State or City), but no centipede of the size reported by Gervais (0.190 m [7.48 in.]) occurs in or near New York.

Original rank: species. Current rank and status: nomen inquirendum, by implication of Attems (1930). Kraepelin (1903) listed this name as a questionable synonym of H e miscolopendra punctiventris ( Newport, 1844) (= H. marginata ( Say, 1821)) ; Brölemann (1909) regarded it as a synonym of S. alternans Leach, 1815 ; and Attems (1930) cited it as an unrecognizable species.

Remarks : Although uncertain that they were conspecific with Gervais’ species, Wood (1862) applied the name, inaequidens , to specimens from Illinois at the Smithsonian Institution and one from Massachusetts housed at the MCZ; however, they are quite different, as Gervais’ form was much larger. Meinert (1886) correctly perceived this difference when he proposed S. woodi for S. inaequidens sensu Wood, 1862 . Hoffman & Shelley (1996) and Shelley (2002) cited S. inaequidens sensu Wood, 1862 , and S. woodi Meinert, 1886 , as synonyms of H. marginata . As the type no longer exists, the identity of S. inaequidens Gervais, 1847 , is unknown, and the name must be regarded as a nomen inquirendum.