gigantea galapagoensis viridicornis robusta

[Steven]

Since there still seems to be much going on about these SouthAmerican giants i'll try to illustrate where all the confusion can come from:

As you might notice Sc.galapagoensis looks much like the darker colorform of Sc.gigantea

And the Orange colorform of Sc.gigantea looks much like the spec. from Ecuador, Peru common known as "robusta"

Scolopendra galapagoensis (Ecuador)
these were sold back in the days with the commonname
"black robusta" cause these were imported together with the
spec. "Ecuador, Peru" known back then as "gigantea robusta"
And maybe that "common name" isn't so far from the truth,...
maybe a dark colorform of the spec. "Ecuador".

Scolopendra gigantea (dark colorform) (Trinidad)
Never seen these in the European hobby,... but there seemed to be an US import of these Trinidad black giants in the past.

Scolopendra gigantea (orange colorform) (Venezuela)
These are the ones you might have seen catching bats in caves

Scolopendra spec."Ecuador, Peru"
I first thought these to be Sc.angulata, since nothing else matched back then, but i was wrong, after seeing true "angulata" been imported lately i am more convinced this is a new specie or old subspecie,... OR indeed a colorform of Sc.galapagoensis,... but not sure on the last one.
It looks much like the orange gigantea form, but its distribution and the amount of smooth antennea segments makes it something else i guess.
(distribution and many other keys are like Sc.galapagoensis)

last but not least
Scolopendra viridicornis (Guyana)
plenty of times mis-IDed and comes in MANY colorforms, and it has a very wide distribution, mainly Brazil.

Hope this has helped ya out a bit to see where all the confusion can come from if you ID pedes just by overal looks and colors.

(in case i mentioned something incorrect, please let me know)

 

[szappan]

Thanks for taking the time to post this, very valuable stuff!

But where does this* one fit in? Is it just another colorform of sc. gigantea? Just asking because it appears to have slightly different colors than the "orange form" and "Ecuador, Peru" ones you've posted.

Thanks again!

* photo credit to MetalDragon_boy

 

[Steven]

But where does this* one fit in? Is it just another colorform of sc. gigantea?

As far as i remember (i don't have these anymore)
i once ID them as Scolopendra gigantea,... so yeah another colorform, the only data i have of those guys is that they came from Venezuela,... nothing more specific.

let me share the colorforms of Scolopendra gigantea
that i'm aware of as up to now:

West towards Central Venezuela:
#1. orange/brown body, white/yellowish legs
#2. dark brown body, white/yellowish legs
#3. dark brown body, yellow striped legs

Central Venezuela:
#3. dark brown body, yellow striped legs, dark head
#4. red/dark brown body, white/yellowish striped legs, reddish head

Eastern Venezuela:
#5. dark brown body, dark orange/reddish striped legs, dark head

To anyone who has interest in Sc.gigantea and Sc.galapagoensis should read this:
Shelley, R. M. and S.B. Kiser, 2000. Neotype designation and a diagnostic account for the centipede, Scolopendra gigantea L. 1758, with an account of S. galapagoensis Bollman 1889. Tropical Zoology 13: 159-170, 2000:
http://ejour-fup.unifi.it/index.php/tropicalzoology/article/view/43/42
It's been mentioned plenty of times before, but either people don't read it or just don't get it, but it gives a clear view on the distribution of both Scolopendra specie.

*edit

 

[warry]

Fantastic post steven
need one of those black gigantea in my collection

 

[xenesthis]

Awesome!

Awesome Steven!!!

This post was overdue and needed badly. It does three things:

1) Shows the many color forms of S. gigantea

2) FINALLY clears up the debate on S. viridicornis (several U.S. hobbyists had the black form of S. gigantea, but they are imported and/or identified as "S.viridicornis" in error and Sandefer's book publishing pics under that name didn't help the situation. So, as of 1/24/09, S. viridicornis has not been imported into the U.S., but this week....that changes.

3) Makes more debate about the species you refer to as "Scolopendra spec."Ecuador, Peru". This species is the one that was imported from Peru between '97 and '00 and called "Scolopendra gigantea "robusta". This is the species that needs more research and debate.

4) S. gigantea "black form" is potentially available. I'm working on it.

Thank you.

 

[davidbarber1]

Steven, very nice presentation. The info is great and makes me want to add some of these to my collection.

David

 

[cjm1991]

God, im jealous.. Those are amazing pedes you got there Steven. Also some amazing photos, im still hoping to get a Gigantea.. hoping.

 

[Androctonus_bic]

Hi;

Looking this post and can't have pedes makes me suffer...

But it doesn't matter, There is a easy way to avoid the color identificacion? ( I'm looking for anathomical diferences, such the exclusive last terguite in S. viridicornis or a special length of the anthena)

In other hand; this was ID like S. galapagoensis but is a real galapagoensis? What is the distribution of this colorform

So... an in http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=3APJA0EedSE case what is it? Looks more like a black gigantea but maybe ( just for me) their anthena looks too long and have a big contrast between the two parts.

An thats all.

Cheers
Carles

 

[CFNSmok.PL]

Wow, this is one beautiful and huge animal. It looks like one of the Scolopendra galapagoensis when compared to some of the top pictures. But again I am taking about color.

Smok.

 

[Maikardaaion]

Brillinat thread!
I had sc. galapagoensis light form and dark form - as it might be IDed. At the moment I have only one female sc. gigantea red/yellow form... And she is amazing !!!

Looking forward to more information in this thread.
And surely for some of those beautifull species beeing available on the market again.

 

[Dillon]

Thanks a lot for the information provided, everyone.

 

[cjm1991]

Hi;

Looking this post and can't have pedes makes me suffer...

But it doesn't matter, There is a easy way to avoid the color identificacion? ( I'm looking for anathomical diferences, such the exclusive last terguite in S. viridicornis or a special length of the anthena)

In other hand; this was ID like S. galapagoensis but is a real galapagoensis? What is the distribution of this colorform

So... an in http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=3APJA0EedSE case what is it? Looks more like a black gigantea but maybe ( just for me) their anthena looks too long and have a big contrast between the two parts.

An thats all.

Cheers
Carles

Nice lookin pede you got there, I like messing with the saturation to give my pictures an awesome color like this.

 

[Galapoheros]

Ooooh yeeaaaahh, now that was some serious pede eye candy. Thanks a lot for posting those pics!:drool: ...maybe someday, I will see a real one. Those are really nice looking.

 

[Nightmares]

I think i'm turned on from this post :liar:

 

[-Exotic]

Good thread starter keep the presentations coming.

 

[David Burns]

Beautiful! More good reasons to visit South America.

 

[fishfry]

Wow, thank you for the post. Can't wait to work with one of these guys.

 

[MarknMiami]

Great post Steven and very informative...I am in Peru right now and have been flipping rocks and everything else since I got here with no luck as of yet...I was in the northern part of Peru "Pacasmayo" this past week and didn't find any pedes...I keep hoping

 

[bengerno]

Awesome post Steven. This gigantea-robusta-galapagoensis thing was always a big mess for me, now I am starting to understand It.