# Pede from Spain ID



## Dave (Apr 25, 2010)

Anyone know what kind? Found this picture on another forum. The owner of the picture found it while snake hunting. If you notice the pill bug, it will give an idea on the size of this many segmented pede.


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## super-pede (Apr 25, 2010)

I have no clue but it is amazing .that is...is..IDK!Nice find.:clap:


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## J.huff23 (Apr 25, 2010)

That thing looks so cool. Its so fat!


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## Galapoheros (Apr 25, 2010)

Whoa, pretty weird, looks like a geophilomorpha and alternans mix  interesting looking thing


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## GartenSpinnen (Apr 26, 2010)

WOW... it looks like a common ancestor of millipedes and centipedes! Weird! Maybe a centipede got really really horny, and the millipede just couldn't get away. 

Very cool, I will be on the lookout for the real ID


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## GartenSpinnen (Apr 26, 2010)

Wait... is that some kind of flat millipede that someone put a centipede head on with photoshop, possibly as a residual April-fools joke?


Edit- Or, possibly, Geophilomorpha Himantarium gabrielis?


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## beetleman (Apr 26, 2010)

:drooloooh, that thing is awesome,i want:worship:


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## zonbonzovi (Apr 26, 2010)

Hmmm, maybe this?:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/rmshelley/Oryabarbarica.jpg

Regardless, a stunning Geophilomorph!


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## Dave (Apr 26, 2010)

zonbonzovi said:


> Hmmm, maybe this?:
> 
> http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/rmshelley/Oryabarbarica.jpg
> 
> Regardless, a stunning Geophilomorph!


Did they say what the scientific name is to the one you found? It looks very similar and most likely in the same family if not the same kind. Good job finding it.


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## zonbonzovi (Apr 26, 2010)

Orya barbarica

It's from myriapodologist Rowland Shelley's photobucket page.  I was looking up Jadespider's suggestion and just stumbled into it.  Cool find, though, Dave.  I've kinda been getting into the Geos- I wish they were as popular as the big Scolopendras.


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## Dave (Apr 26, 2010)

The one I posted looks fairly large compared to the pill bug. Very cool looking. Thanks for the name.. I'll pass it along to the owner.


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## SixShot666 (Apr 26, 2010)

Whoa that's one strange looking centipede!!!


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## cacoseraph (Apr 27, 2010)

that is just lovely!

i keep a couple few of the larger local Geophilomorpha and have nothing that is even close to that cool!

some fun facts about the geo's:

they are known as soil or snail centipedes (geo-philo-morpha means earth-love-shape).

they will actually partially crawl *into* a dead bug to get at the good eatens

they gain legs every time they molt!

the mothers of at least some species stay coiled around their eggs for at least sometimes. that is vague cuz i haven't looked it up, but have seen geo centipedes around eggs before in the wild 






edit:
that particular pede looks like it has had some kind of another bug spin a sac of some sort on it's back.  does anyone else kinda see what i mean?


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## Galapoheros (Apr 27, 2010)

I think that thing on it's back is just a piece of caco fiber.


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## peterbourbon (Apr 27, 2010)

cacoseraph said:


> they gain legs every time they molt!


No.
Since Geophilomorpha belong evolutionarily to Epimorpha, they are born with all segments like Scolopendromorpha.

Though Lithobiomorpha - who belong to Anamorpha - develop additional segments after each molt until they gain the full segment number.
Same with Scutigeromorpha.

Hence your Geophilomorphs don't gain additional segments on each molt.
Don't know what you have witnessed.

Regards
Turgut


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## cacoseraph (Apr 27, 2010)

my bad

i guess there are a lot of dif geo species where i live.... i have seen them with ~30 leg pairs up to well over 100.


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## peterbourbon (Apr 27, 2010)

Yeah. 

That's true. Number of legs even distinct the genus afaik, but they don't develop them in larval stages and are born with full number of legs.

Regards
Turgut


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## cacoseraph (Apr 27, 2010)

now i simply have to see the 100+ pairs develop!  i can't even imagine what it would look like before ecdysis!

probably like a bowl full of spaghetti shoe horned into a water balloon


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## JC (Apr 27, 2010)

Woowee, that is one hot specimen!

And look, it seems to have been conversing with an isopod just before the pic was taken.


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## zonbonzovi (Apr 27, 2010)

[QUOTE

i keep a couple few of the larger local Geophilomorpha and have nothing that is even close to that cool!

[/QUOTE]

Yours down there are much larger that ours up here.  Please do post a few pix when you get the chance...maybe a worldwide Geo appreciation thread?


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## Crysta (May 9, 2010)

Are these available in Canada? Amazing critter!


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## hewlet (May 17, 2010)

http://www.earthlife.net/insects/chilopod.html
*Geophilomorpha*
These are long worm like species adapted to burrowing in the soil. They have 31 to 177 pairs of legs, 14 segments in the antennae, and a spiracle on every segment except the first and last. Some species such as the North American Orya barbarica may reach *15 - 17 cm (6 - 7 inches) in length*, however most species are smaller such as the European Haplophilus subterraneus which is about 3 -5 cm (2 - 3 inches) long.


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