Myriapoda of Canada

Abstract

The currently documented fauna of described species of myriapods in Canada includes 54 Chilopoda, 66 Diplopoda, 23 Pauropoda, and two Symphyla, representing increases of 24, 23, 23, and one species, respectively, since 1979. Of the 145 myriapod species currently documented, 40 species are not native to Canada. The myriapods have not been well documented with DNA barcodes and no barcodes are available for Pauropoda. It is conservatively estimated that at least 93 additional myriapods species will be discovered in Canada: Chilopoda (40), Diplopoda (29), Pauropoda (17), and Symphyla (seven). In general, there is a serious dearth of knowledge about myriapods in Canada, and systematics research and surveys continue to be needed to help document the diversity and distribution of these groups in the country.

Soil Arthropods in the Douro Demarcated Region Vineyards: General Characteristics and Ecosystem Services Provided

“…However, predator behavior has been documented in the Symphylella genera, and it is believed that predatory habits are more widespread within the Scolopendrellidae family [215]. Individuals of Scutigerellidae are phytophagous feeding on roots (fine roots and root hairs) and other plant material [215] and can damage plants if the population density is high [7,216].…”

The diversity of terrestrial arthropods in Canada

“…Many non-native terrestrial arthropod species have been introduced to Canada since the time of European colonization, most of them inadvertently and some intentionally, e.g., for biocontrol (Langor et al 2009). The authors of most Biota of Canada papers considered and reported on the proportion of the fauna that is non-native.…”

“…Small glacial refugia that existed in Beringia and on offshore islands (Roberts and Hamann 2015), in the Cypress Hills of Alberta and Saskatchewan (Pielou 1991), and possibly in what is now northern British Columbia (Marr et al 2008), contained some species that persisted during glaciation, but the vast majority of the species now living on land and in freshwater in Canada recolonized the area from the un-glaciated south (Matthews 1979). In addition, thousands of non-native species, mainly from Europe and Asia, were later unintentionally or intentionally introduced to North America subsequent to European colonization and are now established in Canada (e.g., Langor et al 2009, Klimaszewski et al 2010D Langor unpubl. data).…”

The biota of Canada: checklist of the centipedes of Canada (Myriapoda: Chilopoda)

“…Not many people have studied the systematics of centipedes in North America, and practically no modern systematics work on the group has occurred in Canada (Langor et al. 2019). The most prolific centipede taxonomists in North America were Ralph V. Chamberlin (more than 120 publications from 1901 to 1966), Ralph E. Crabill, Jr. (more than 62 publications from 1949 to 1981), and Rowland M. Shelley (more than 20 publications from 1978 to 2008).…”

“…For almost a century thereafter, only occasional centipede records from Canada appeared in the literature, mostly reported by Chamberlin and Crabill, and the Chilopoda largely escaped the attention of Canadian scientists (Langor et al. 2019). The most notable contribution was a treatment of the Chilopoda of Newfoundland and Labrador (Palmén 1954), based on collections made during the Fennoscandian expeditions of 1949 and 1951; this remains the only Canadian jurisdiction to receive such a comprehensive faunal treatment.…”