Strigamia is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Linotaeniidae found in temperate parts of the Holarctic region.[4] Members of this family can be identified by their anteriorly tapering bodies, the extra claw on the forcipules (venom-injecting fangs),[5] scattered coxal pores, and the distinctly swollen ultimate legs of the males.[6] The generic name is from Latin striga, "strip," referring to its strip of bristles.[7]
Centipedes in this genus can reach 15 cm in length (in the North American species S. epileptica) and can have as few as 31 pairs of legs (in the Taiwanese species, S. nana, with 31 to 35 in both sexes,[8] and in the North American species S. hoffmani, with 31 to 35 pairs in males, 35 or 37 in females) or as many as 83 leg pairs (in S. epileptica, with 65 to 69 pairs in males, 71 to 83 in females).[9] Other species with notably few legs include the Siberian species S. sibirica (33 pairs in males, 33 or 35 in females), the Japanese species S. korsosi (33 or 35 in males, 35 or 37 in females), and the Romanian species S. lutea (35 pairs in males, 37 in females).[10][9][8] The species S. nana and S. korsosi are notable for their small sizes (no more than 15 mm long) as well as for their modest number of legs.[8]