Centipede communities in the forests of Flanders

Summary During a year-round pitfall sampling campaign in 56 Flemish forest stands, a total number of 21 centipede species were caught. Community analyses on the basis of the species composition revealed that three distinct clusters of forests could be recognised which are separated geographically. The Campine Region with a lot of pine forests, which is characterised by its sandy soils, contained the lowest diversity of centipedes and only Lithobius forficatus and L. calcaratus were common. Sandy Flanders with a lot of oak forests contained more species including Cryptops hortensis , the most characteristic species of this region. The Loamy Region contained a lot of oak and beech forests and Cryptops parisi and Lithobius dentatus were especially characteristic for this region.