# Blue Legged Centipede - Scolopendra sp. vs Ethmostigmus trigonopodus



## Gel (Dec 6, 2012)

While browsing the internet I've come across two references of Blue Legged Centipede, one being a Scolopendra sp. and another being Ethmostigmus trigonopodus.

I am confused as to whether they are actually one in the same and misidentified or separate and if separate how to identify the differences.

Thank you


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## Galapoheros (Dec 6, 2012)

I don't completely ignore common names for "leads" on an ID, but when it comes down to accurate IDing, it's a good idea to completely ignore common names.  Take the common name "snapping turtle" for example.  I've met people that will call any turtle that opens it's mouth a "snapping turtle".  So "Blue Legged Centipede" could mean any centipede that has blue legs, or a little blue on the legs, or a tiny bit of blue on one leg, or no blue on it at all if it's a color variation with no blue on the legs ..lol.

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## Gel (Dec 6, 2012)

Galapoheros said:


> I don't completely ignore common names for "leads" on an ID, but when it comes down to accurate IDing, it's a good idea to completely ignore common names.  Take the common name "snapping turtle" for example.  I've met people that will call any turtle that opens it's mouth a "snapping turtle".  So "Blue Legged Centipede" could mean any centipede that has blue legs, or a little blue on the legs, or a tiny bit of blue on one leg, or no blue on it at all if it's a color variation with no blue on the legs ..lol.


Thank you,

I am aware that you should avoid using common names when ID'ing however for one of them "Scolopendra sp." is all I have to go by. 

I should add that both the pedes I am referring to occur in Tanzania and both are also referred to as "Tanzanian Blue Legged Centipede."


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## KingBaboon85 (Dec 6, 2012)

You should posts some pics if you can

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## Gel (Dec 7, 2012)

KingBaboon85 said:


> You should posts some pics if you can


Here are some pics:


Scolopendra sp.


Ethmostigmus trigonopodus



They seem to be the same pede superficially.


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 7, 2012)

Hard to say with out a view of the spiracles...Ethmostigmus has them on segment 7 & 8.  I know there were imports of what was thought to be an outsized ET but I don't remember if they were IDed as such.  Maybe someone that bought a couple will chime in.  I think that the label attached to the photo from petbugs .jpeg is either speculative or just underinformed.

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## Gel (Dec 7, 2012)

zonbonzovi said:


> Hard to say with out a view of the spiracles...Ethmostigmus has them on segment 7 & 8.  I know there were imports of what was thought to be an outsized ET but I don't remember if they were IDed as such.  Maybe someone that bought a couple will chime in.  I think that the label attached to the photo from petbugs .jpeg is either speculative or just underinformed.


Thank you,

That is my impression as well from what I gather. Seems it is just a matter of misidentification. I don't think there is a Tanzanian Blue Legged Centipede Scolopendra sp. and a Tanzanian BLue Legged Centipede Ethmostigmus sp. that just happen to be almost identical. I think they are all Ethmostigmus and are just being mislabeled. This is just speculation on my part as well.

Are these rare to hobby?


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 7, 2012)

Gel said:


> Thank you,
> 
> That is my impression as well from what I gather. Seems it is just a matter of misidentification. I don't think there is a Tanzanian Blue Legged Centipede Scolopendra sp. and a Tanzanian BLue Legged Centipede Ethmostigmus sp. that just happen to be almost identical. I think they are all Ethmostigmus and are just being mislabeled. This is just speculation on my part as well.
> 
> Are these rare to hobby?


There is a Cormocephalus species from Australia that could be confused via photographic similarity.  There's a possibility that the coloration exists in Africa but size isn't comparable.  

Ethmostigmus isn't all that rare in Tanzanian imports but since very few even attempt to breed the WC animals that come in their availability is dependent on imports.  Great species...wish I still had some.

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## Gel (Dec 7, 2012)

zonbonzovi said:


> There is a Cormocephalus species from Australia that could be confused via photographic similarity.  There's a possibility that the coloration exists in Africa but size isn't comparable.
> 
> Ethmostigmus isn't all that rare in Tanzanian imports but since very few even attempt to breed the WC animals that come in their availability is dependent on imports.  Great species...wish I still had some.


Thank you,

The Cormocephalus sp. is smaller in size than the Ethmostigmus trigonopodus?


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 7, 2012)

Check out pic #3: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?235857-Few-Aussie-pedes&

If I recall, they are rather small in comparison with the ET's.

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## Gel (Dec 7, 2012)

zonbonzovi said:


> Check out pic #3: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?235857-Few-Aussie-pedes&
> 
> If I recall, they are rather small in comparison with the ET's.


Oh wow, yes very similar in photographs to ET's. Thanks for the pics.


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## Insektzuchen (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm not an expert on centipedes but the Tanzanian Blue-ring Legged Centipede (Ethmostigmus trigonopodus) and the Tanzanian Blue Legged Centipede (Scolopendra sp.) are two distinct species.  The Blue-ring has a dark greenish brown body with blue rings or stripes on its legs, grows about 4-6", is a generally docile, tropical species which is commonly found in the U.S. pet trade.  On the other hand, the Blue Leg has an electric blue coloration with solid blue legs, grows to about 9" with a wide girth, is an aggressive species which can never be handled.  It inhabits the savannah and does not make a good display animal due to its habit of burying itself in the substrate for weeks at a time.  For this reason, it is rarely if ever encountered in the U.S. hobby notwithstanding its remarkably, beautiful electric blue coloration.  However, a few weeks ago, Ken Foose of ExoticPetsLV.com had one listed for sale on this and other forums.

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## Galapoheros (Dec 8, 2012)

Then imo the odds are that it's going to be Ethmostigmus trigonopodus if it says "Tanzanian" in front of it.  The last I heard, the larger solid blue legged E. trig further east in Africa is just a larger version of E. trig with solid blue legs, but I've never been able to find much info about it.  I looked around pretty hard too but that was a while back, maybe there is new info posted on the net since then.

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## zonbonzovi (Dec 8, 2012)

^That was my impression, too.  

Here's a solid blue leg ET(Madagascar?  I wasn't aware that they were present there?): http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...hmostigmus-trigonopodus-quot-Madagascar-quot&   Steven also mentions in that thread having a "true blue leg" but I couldn't find a photo and there is no mention of genus.  This was also during the time of confusion on "neon blue legs/mirabilis" blah, blah, blah.  

The ET's that I've had were quite variable...brown tergites, "cornflower" blue tergites, a mix of the two, legs w/ bright blue/yellow stripes, subdued blues & whites...but they all had the tell-tale spiracle pattern.  

I would love to see this beast if it's out there.  A large, blue, thick-bodied Scolopendrid with an anger management problem?  Sign me up!  Maybe someone has a pic with the those particular segments included?

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## Gel (Dec 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your great posts. Keep them coming.


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## Insektzuchen (Dec 9, 2012)

If you're really interested, there are several pictures of the Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede (Scolopendra spp.) on tarantulaspiders.com's photo gallery but I think TG is referring to it as the Tanzanian Giant Blue Leg or something or other.  Also if you do a search on this site for "Tanzanian Electric Blue Leg Centipede" a thread comes up wherein they're discussing it.  The true Blue Leg and the E. trigonopodus are too dissimilar to be the same animal (coloring, length, girth, temperament, habit of staying buried for weeks, etc.).  When you see one in person you'll know why they call it "electric blue."


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## Gel (Dec 9, 2012)

I just want to clarify, the caresheet information on on petbugs.com (in correlation with my picture posting) for the Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede (Scolopendra sp.) seems to be accurate and coincides with the information on this species posted by Insektzuchen. 

Just want to give credit where credit is due.


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 11, 2012)

Insektzuchen, do you have a link for the photo?  I could only find the presumed ET from the Congo.


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 13, 2012)

Thanks for the links, Insektzuchen:

http://www.tarantulaspiders.com/Centipede_Photo_Gallery.php

The photos referred to are #17 & #23 in this gallery.

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## Gel (Dec 13, 2012)

zonbonzovi said:


> Thanks for the links, Insektzuchen:
> 
> http://www.tarantulaspiders.com/Centipede_Photo_Gallery.php
> 
> The photos referred to are #17 & #23 in this gallery.


Thanks Insektzuchen and zonbonzovi.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Dec 13, 2012)

There are at least three different blue legged centipedes from Tanzania with Ethmostigmus being the least blue of the three (and often called blue ringleg because only rings on the leg are blue, most of the leg is cream colored) and only one being Scolopendra. In the US there are some Scolopendra polymorpha with blue legs as adults while most only have blue legs as juveniles and various Scolopendra subspinipes color forms have blue legs when small. It's sort of like saying blue tarantula.


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## Gel (Dec 13, 2012)

Elytra and Antenna said:


> There are at least three different blue legged centipedes from Tanzania with Ethmostigmus being the least blue of the three (and often called blue ringleg because only rings on the leg are blue, most of the leg is cream colored) and only one being Scolopendra. In the US there are some Scolopendra polymorpha with blue legs as adults while most only have blue legs as juveniles and various Scolopendra subspinipes color forms have blue legs when small. It's sort of like saying blue tarantula.


thank you for the post


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