# ID this house centipede



## P.jasonius (May 26, 2007)

Found this around New Braunfels, TX, along the Guadalupe river.  ID, please?


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## Androctonus_bic (May 26, 2007)

Scutigera coleoptrata is my guess.

Cheers
Carles


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## cacoseraph (May 26, 2007)

interesting. the color and the spiracles look a little dif than S. coleoptera to me. how big is the cent and did you keep it?


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## P.jasonius (May 26, 2007)

Just over an inch in body length alone.  I caught 5, but the cup I had them in blew over just before I put them in the truck.  All but one escaped, so I let the last one go.  No wind all day, and just before I leave there they all go.  Next time I won't forget the lids.:8o


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## 8+) (May 26, 2007)

I agree the coloring is different from any coleoptrata I've seen, but how are you making out the spiracles in those photos?


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## P.jasonius (May 26, 2007)

Sorry, this is the only thing close to a ventral shot I have.  Really wishing that cup hadn't blown over; they seemed to get along well enough where I could've had a little communal setup with them.  If I lived closer to where I found them I'd just go get some more.


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## cacoseraph (May 27, 2007)

8+) said:


> I agree the coloring is different from any coleoptrata I've seen, but how are you making out the spiracles in those photos?


scutigeramorpha bear a single spiracle per body segment, located dorsally. they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the spiracles


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## 8+) (May 27, 2007)

Thanks, I can see them clearly in the pics of the one buthus posted.


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## cacoseraph (May 27, 2007)

cacoseraph said:


> scutigeramorpha bear a single spiracle per body segment, located dorsally. they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the spiracles


oops.
i meant to say "they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the _bodysegments_"


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## Androctonus_bic (May 27, 2007)

Remember that colour is not a varild key to Id centipedes...
Do you have another scutigeromorpha in USA?

Cheers
Carles


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## cacoseraph (May 27, 2007)

it appears as if we do ahve more than just S. coleoptera

http://bugguide.net/node/view/90901
^ those spiracles look closer to what you took a pic of. and is from TX


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## 8+) (May 27, 2007)

cacoseraph said:


> it appears as if we do ahve more than just S. coleoptera
> 
> http://bugguide.net/node/view/90901
> ^ those spiracles look closer to what you took a pic of. and is from TX


The coloration looks closer as well. Even though as Carles pointed out coloration can't be considered a key, I haven't ever seen a coleoptera look anything like that color wise.


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## Mark Newton (Jul 20, 2007)

I know this tthread is a tad old....but here are a couple of pics of the same species I have found in Australia....assumably the same species, keys out to the same species as best I can tell.


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## bistrobob85 (Jul 20, 2007)

Wow, great pics... i LOVE the leg pattern and also the way the ''tergites'' are put together... fascinating... So would S.coleoptrata be an introduced specie to Texas or to Australia or both?!?! Basically, where are they initially from?

 phil.


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## Mark Newton (Jul 20, 2007)

bistrobob85 said:


> So would S.coleoptrata be an introduced specie to Texas or to Australia or both?!?! Basically, where are they initially from?
> 
> phil.


Hi Phil

From what I have read they are from the Mediterranean and have managed to become introduced in various places throughout the world, obviously quite a hardy species capable of quickly adapting to local environments. I am finding them to be darn interesting thats for sure, as this is the first time I have really looked closely, even though I have often seen and photographed them. According to research it has only recently been conclusively proven they have real compound eyes, it was thought the eyes were of a pseudo-compound nature. The eyes seem to be of little use other than the usual negative phototactic response seen in most nocturnal arthropods, the animal relies heavily on the sense of touch and vibration to which it is highy tuned. The eyes are sensitive to uv light and the blue end of the spectrum, which tends to suggest daylight sensitive. This order also have an oxygen carrying pigment in the haemolymph, absent in other centipede orders and successive molts that give rise to extra legs each molt until the full complement of 30 is recognised, after which there are still I think 3 molts. Amazing creatures...thats for sure.


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## bistrobob85 (Jul 21, 2007)

Wow Mark, thanks for the infos . What about their tergites and sternites?!?! I've never seen a scutigeromorph in person and they dont seem to have a body as flexible as most of the other centipedes... Are the body segments rigid or mobile?

 phil.


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## Mark Newton (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi Phil

They are extremely agile, that's for sure and run very fast. Not being long like scolopendra I guess limits the degree they can flex into a bent shape, which they dont seem to do, they do seem limited in that regard. The body segments do flex between each other, but I think the short 7 segment body physically disallows much bending. Too bad you've never met one....keep looking.

cheers


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