Mecistocephalus kurandanus

This species features 49 leg pairs and can reach 84 mm in length and 3.2 mm in width. The body is brown with darker spots, and the head is chestnut. The dorsal plate on the head is 1.8 times as long as wide. The middle part of the labrum is shaped like a wedge that tapers to a narrow point at the posterior end. The side pieces of the labrum nearly touch each other behind the middle part. The posterior margin of the side pieces feature conspicuous notches that form seven or eight projections near the middle part of the labrum. The mandible features nine lamellae, with six teeth of similar length on the first lamella. The other lamellae feature distal teeth that are longer than the proximal teeth. The groove on the sternites is forked at the anterior end, with the two branches forming nearly right angles. The basal elements of the ultimate legs feature numerous small pores. This species shares many traits with another species of Mecistocephalus found in Queensland, M. simplex. For example, as in all species in this genus, the head in each of these two species is evidently longer than wide, and the sternites of the trunk segments in each species feature a groove. Furthermore, like most species in this genus, these two species each feature 49 leg-bearing segments. …

The species M. kurandanus is found in coastal northeastern Queensland in Australia. In Queensland, this species has been recorded not only at the type locality (Kuranda) but also on Mount Spurgeon at an elevation between 3,500 and 5,000 feet. This centipede is a solitary terrestrial predator that inhabits plant litter and soil.

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