A taxonomic review of North American Scolopendra (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae)

Scolopendra centipedes include some of the largest and most distinctive invertebrates in North America, however they are taxonomically poorly studied. This study presents a taxonomic review of Scolopendra in North America, incorporating molecular phylogeny (COI, Wingless, EF1-α) and morphological analysis. The phylogeny reveals that most currently recognized species are polyphyletic, with high genetic divergence between populations and multiple well-supported geographic clades. Notably, S. polymorpha is shown to comprise several distinct lineages across the western U.S., while S. viridis exhibits strong eastern–western divergence. Arthrohabus is grouped within North American Scolopendra, and several historic taxa are resurrected based on congruent molecular and morphological evidence.