Subfamily Scolopendrinae Leach, 1814

Synonyms. Perustigminae Verhoeff, 1941

Diagnosis. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite with tooth-plates; forcipular trochantero-prefemur with welldeveloped process. Sternites with well-developed (usually complete in most sternites) paramedian sutures, in most genera without depressions (may be present in the former Asanadini). Elongated spiracles slit-like, triangular in overwhelming majority of species (oval in some Cormocephalus) with well-developed atrium divided by a typical three-valved “flap” (Fig. 51, fig. 8 of Waldock & Edgecombe 2012). LBS 7 without spiracles. Legs (Fig. 48) usually with one (leg 1 sometimes with 2, penultimate leg sometimes lacking) tarsal spur(s). These spurs are totally absent in the Cormocephalus -clade (i.e. Cormocephalus + Hemiscolopendra + Akymnopellis + Campylostigmus) and in the genus Asanada the presence of these spurs may even be subject to intraspecific variability (see below). Ultimate legs in most genera of “common” shape (Figs 54, 65, 70), more rarely quasi “pincer-shaped” (i.e. much shortened and enlarged except for pretarsus, for example in Asanada and the former genus Kanparka, Figs 81 and 57 respectively) or even truly “pincer-shaped” ( Scolopendropsis and some species of Cormocephalus (Cormocephalus), Figs 45, 64). Ultimate leg prefemur practically always with some chitinized spines (their number may vary considerably; Figs 44, 49, 56, 72) plus corner spine (Figs 54, 57); claw-shaped pretarsus well-developed. Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 397) also wrote: “Posteriorly directed spines along plicae of gizzard.”

Number of subtaxa. 11 genera (“More than 220 species in 12 genera” sensu Edgecombe & Bonato 2011: 397).

Sexual dimorphism. Present in a few species of both Scolopendra and Akymnopellis and, likely, in Tonkinodentus (see below).

Range. All tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.

Remarks. Treated as a subfamily in Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 397), Vahtera et al. (2012a: 4, 2012b: 238, 2013: 579), Schileyko (2014: 174), Schileyko & Stoev (2016: 252), Schileyko (2018: 69), Schileyko & Solovyeva (2019: 138).