[Anubis]

On Sunday, I managed to get in an hour of hunting in in the Superstitions. It was at a spot I rarely go because it's frequented by other hikers, but this time it was empty. I looked around a few rock piles with smallish rocks, looking for Vaejovis and S. polymorpha and found something that nearly made my heart stop. I'm not even exaggerating. This was a shock to me since I've never seen a centipede this attractive in real life. Last place I expected to see something like this was in the Superstitions. I usually get low-contrast tan polymorpha around those areas that rarely exceed 3 inches. This was no exception to the size rule, but it's definitely the biggest exception in looks in all the myriapods and non-myriapods that I've found.

I think it's a color variant of S. polymorpha based on the proportions of the terminal legs (my S. viridis have had stumpier terminals). And I don't believe this one is freshly molted. I'm not seeing it much since it burrowed under, but it looked solid to me.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/2315558063_b182d84252_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/2316366274_d9bd7542f2_o.jpg

I'll see if I can dig it up tomorrow and get some better pictures. These are kind of washed out. The blue is a lot deeper than this under normal light.

This post has been edited by Anubis: 07 March 2008 - 12:06 AM

[nileppezdel]

Holy cats man!!!! That thing is impressively beautiful!!! See if you can get a shot of the terminals, closely enough to get a spine count.

[NBond1986]

This was found by one of our SCABIES members on a trip to Phoenix a few weeks ago.

S. viridis "Blue"

Attached File(s)

•  pede.jpg (72.42K)
  Number of downloads: 2

[nileppezdel]

Nbond1986, on Mar 7 2008, 12:10 PM, said:

This was found by one of our SCABIES members on a trip to Phoenix a few weeks ago.

S. viridis "Blue"

Im not entirely convinced that is S. viridis, not at all.

[butch4skin]

Whatever it is, it's got me all hot and bothered.

[Anubis]

Nbond1986, on Mar 7 2008, 03:10 PM, said:

This was found by one of our SCABIES members on a trip to Phoenix a few weeks ago.

S. viridis "Blue"

It's definitely that thing, but what's your reasoning for S. viridis?

[NBond1986]

i have no reasoning....

that's just what my buddy called it.

[cacoseraph]

anubis' is almost definitely polymorpha... it has like 7-8 smooth basal antennomeres. a viridis would have less


also, the terms look like some of my polymorpha

This post has been edited by cacoseraph: 08 March 2008 - 05:25 AM

[freeman]

wow impressive

[Scott-Land]

A KEEPER!
Nice find Vash!!

[MarknMiami]

WOW!!!...What a beautiful pede!!...Good find Vash!

[cacoseraph]

this might be of interest to you Anubis
http://atshq.org/for...ead.php?t=16427

[Parahybana3590]

Hey caco,
in the thread on atshq.org you were talkin about how his pede might be female due to the size of the terminal legs, is this the way it is with most scolos?

[cacoseraph]

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

[Parahybana3590]

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

[cacoseraph]

Parahybana3590, on May 8 2008, 08:24 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

not that i know of


i read you can squeeze the last segment of male pedes and evert some sort of sexual gear... but not really something i would want to do with subspinipes =P

[nileppezdel]

cacoseraph, on May 12 2008, 09:31 AM, said:

Parahybana3590, on May 8 2008, 08:24 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

not that i know of


i read you can squeeze the last segment of male pedes and evert some sort of sexual gear... but not really something i would want to do with subspinipes =P

*idea*

granted it would be ridiculously difficult to achieve, but hypothetically if you could coax a supposed male pede into a very small tube where it would not be able to turn around in, you could sex it. Much like tubing a venomous snake. This is all hypothetical, but I can picture it in my head, lol. I think if someone had the balls to try it, it could be done. only hard part would be getting the pede to start into the tube.

[cacoseraph]

nileppezdel, on May 12 2008, 08:48 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 12 2008, 09:31 AM, said:

Parahybana3590, on May 8 2008, 08:24 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

not that i know of


i read you can squeeze the last segment of male pedes and evert some sort of sexual gear... but not really something i would want to do with subspinipes =P

*idea*

granted it would be ridiculously difficult to achieve, but hypothetically if you could coax a supposed male pede into a very small tube where it would not be able to turn around in, you could sex it. Much like tubing a venomous snake. This is all hypothetical, but I can picture it in my head, lol. I think if someone had the balls to try it, it could be done. only hard part would be getting the pede to start into the tube.

ah, that's a pretty good idea. they can walk backwards but having the head in the tube would be a good start on sexing them

[nileppezdel]

cacoseraph, on May 15 2008, 08:54 AM, said:

nileppezdel, on May 12 2008, 08:48 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 12 2008, 09:31 AM, said:

Parahybana3590, on May 8 2008, 08:24 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

not that i know of


i read you can squeeze the last segment of male pedes and evert some sort of sexual gear... but not really something i would want to do with subspinipes =P

*idea*

granted it would be ridiculously difficult to achieve, but hypothetically if you could coax a supposed male pede into a very small tube where it would not be able to turn around in, you could sex it. Much like tubing a venomous snake. This is all hypothetical, but I can picture it in my head, lol. I think if someone had the balls to try it, it could be done. only hard part would be getting the pede to start into the tube.

ah, that's a pretty good idea. they can walk backwards but having the head in the tube would be a good start on sexing them

The idea is a tight enough tube that the legs would have to be folded towards the terms, and there would not be enough room for them to bend the legs forward to walk. Of course this is nearly impossibly, possibly chilling the pede first would be a good idea?


Andrew, I have heard of people putting T's in the fridge for a few minutes to cool the animal down to make it easier when transferring them from one container to another. Obviously this would work with pedes, but how stressful would it be to them? Any ideas? Ever try it?

[Parahybana3590]

nileppezdel, on May 15 2008, 07:36 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 15 2008, 08:54 AM, said:

nileppezdel, on May 12 2008, 08:48 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 12 2008, 09:31 AM, said:

Parahybana3590, on May 8 2008, 08:24 AM, said:

cacoseraph, on May 6 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

well, it depends if that pede turns out to be viridis or not.

each pede species is dif, unfortunately

i think maybe i have noticed a sex dimorpho in S. polymorpha

I see, is there any way to tell with a S. s. spp?

not that i know of


i read you can squeeze the last segment of male pedes and evert some sort of sexual gear... but not really something i would want to do with subspinipes =P

*idea*

granted it would be ridiculously difficult to achieve, but hypothetically if you could coax a supposed male pede into a very small tube where it would not be able to turn around in, you could sex it. Much like tubing a venomous snake. This is all hypothetical, but I can picture it in my head, lol. I think if someone had the balls to try it, it could be done. only hard part would be getting the pede to start into the tube.

ah, that's a pretty good idea. they can walk backwards but having the head in the tube would be a good start on sexing them

The idea is a tight enough tube that the legs would have to be folded towards the terms, and there would not be enough room for them to bend the legs forward to walk. Of course this is nearly impossibly, possibly chilling the pede first would be a good idea?


Andrew, I have heard of people putting T's in the fridge for a few minutes to cool the animal down to make it easier when transferring them from one container to another. Obviously this would work with pedes, but how stressful would it be to them? Any ideas? Ever try it?

I have heard of this, and it seems that, from general opinion, if you can't handle the speed you shouldnt get the T in the first place. I suppose though, if you did, you would have to keep track of time and not forget the T, or in this case, the pede.