Scolopendra gigantea Black/Dark morph?

R

Ran

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
282
Those look to be adult species of Galapagoensis (South America) colors can vary slightly with all pede species. The real Galapagoensis from the Galapago islands are more reddish in color (Google images). Gigantea species recognized are yellow legged, robusta and dark robusta...From my experience the yellow legged morph are different...grow rapidly and take longer to get thicker...but get more massive.
 
Ratmosphere

Ratmosphere

Arachnoking
Active Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
2,313
The whole South American centipede taxonomy is confusing. That picture looks like Scolopendra galapagoensis. However some people think the darker forms are true gigantea which just confuses me.
 
LawnShrimp

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Messages
907
Scientists and hobbyists haven't been able to accurately classify S. gigantea, S. galapagoensis, and S. viridicornis. Each one is difficult to tell apart from the next and they have patchy and extremely localized distributions. The "gigantea" from Trinidad and the "gigantea" from Venezuela resemble the dark-phase S. galapagoensis from both the islands themselves and the Peruvian "galapagoensis" that may or may not be that species. However, due to the distance and natural barriers between the two morphs you have pictures of, they are most likely similar morphs of different species. Quite frankly, South American 'pede identification and taxonomy is something that confuses me greatly as well as everybody else who's looked into it.

Anyway, the Trinidad black and the Venezuela black are very expensive and even harder to find for sale. Similar morphs such as the Peruvian "galapagoensis" are more readily available (such as Mastigoproctus' Helga and @Ratmosphere's new addition), and Galapagos galapagoensis (my particular favorite) are possibly available but most likely not.
 
LawnShrimp

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Messages
907
As for cost, I'd say $300+ (more on the + side), at least for Peruvians. Most other dark SA Giants probably will cost your firstborn's arm and leg.
 
miss moxie

miss moxie

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jun 13, 2014
Messages
1,804
LawnShrimp said:
As for cost, I'd say $300+ (more on the + side), at least for Peruvians. Most other dark SA Giants probably will cost your firstborn's arm and leg.
Click to expand...
My first born's arm and leg, hm? Well I can always name them duplex...

Thanks everyone for the answers. Dark colored inverts usually catch my attention, and I've been getting interested in acquiring a centipede so I've been looking around. I don't really want a small one either-- not because bigger is necessarily better but the bigger ones seem less freaky to me for some reason? No idea why. Usually it's the other way around but being typical is boring I guess. :rofl:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top