Myriapoda: a review of their status in Essex 203
Lithobius melanops Newport
A common species often found in urban
situatons and under stones and dead wood. In
Essex there arc scattered records in those areas
where myriapods have been recorded, and it
will almost certainly be found elsewhere in the
county.
Lithobius macilentus L. Koch
A local centipede of woods and moorland where it usually lives under stones. Apparently in
Oxfordshire typically one or two specimens arc found amongst deep accumulations of leaf and twig
litter within deciduous woodland (Gregoiy & Campbell 1996). There is one record for Essex made
by S.J. Gregory at Fingringhoe Wick (TM043196) in damp deciduous woodland on 27 December 1991.
Lithobius calcaratus CL. Koch
A local dark brown to almost black centipede characteristic of acid heathland (Barber & Keay
1988), but it is also found in other dry open semi-natural sites. There is one pre-1940 10km square
at TQ59 shown for Essex in the 1988 provisional national atlas. The only modern records are from
Rowhedge (TM038213) made by S.J. Gregory on 27 December 1991 and from grass verge pitfall
traps at Dedham (TM041328) made by R. Ruffell on 14 November and 12 December 1993.
Lithobius crassipes L. Koch
A common centipede over large areas of rural
Britain except the south-west, there are
scattered records in Essex. The large gaps in
the middle and south of the county are almost
certainly a reflection of under-recording.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)