Alternans?

[micheldied]

Yeah I understand how it could be, just seemed odd to me I found similar specimens on so many islands with variation between them and It kinda set the idea in my head this was a native species, though assuming man made establishment was hundreds of years ago it's a little less odd I need to read into subspinipes holotype though before I can judge. I actually just finished reading up on the Scolopendra gigantea/galapagoensis neotypes and distribution (having a solid understanding of those I generally feel white leg isn't gigantea btw).

Not angry, just curious as to why how you were so sure they aren't subspinipes. They're an extremely diverse species that is very adaptable, and as of now a large variety of Asian pedes are considered subspinipes.

 

[Abdulkarim Elnaas]

I feel like centipedes are better adapted to being stow-aways on a ship than rats. They thrive in moist cramped environments (I know in Libya there are centipedes all over the beaches so they don't even seem to mind salinity that much - but I'm guessing this would differ depending on the pede in question), they barely leave any waste as evidence of their presence and they eat much less than rats due to their ectothermic nature. They are also smaller and flatter than rats, so they are much more versatile in terms of where they can fit. IMHO, centipedes are the ideal stow-aways, especially if we are talking about organic shipments like fruits or vegetables.