C. gracilis

[phoenixxavierre]

Two color morphs of the same scorpion?

 

[phoenixxavierre]

These are the ones supposedly from Madagascar.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

another pic

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Probably. The one on the right may also be a C. margaritatus, but as you already noticed, it's pretty difficult to be positive with only photographs. But those stripes down the tergite, I haven't ever seen on C. margaritatus to be as noticeable as this.


adios,
edw.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

and another

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by XOskeletonRED
Probably. The one on the right may also be a C. margaritatus, but as you already noticed, it's pretty difficult to be positive with only photographs. But those stripes down the tergite, I haven't ever seen on C. margaritatus to be as noticeable as this.


adios,
edw.

Hi Edward,

So are there no obvious differences between these two scorps? If not, why aren't they treated as the same scorp?

The ones you say could be C. margaritatus have a stripe, while the others don't. Is the stripe uncommon in both species? There are other slight differences as well.

Just throws me. They look so different to me, it surprises me if they're the same species!

Take care,

Paul

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Hey, Paul,

Can you tell if any of them have more elongation to caudal segments? Male Centruroides margaritatus and gracilis are usually quite obvious of sexes.

All pics I have of male and female Grosphus madagascarensis show that they do not have this trademark between male and female, but only pedipalp size at such a noticeable amount.

As for the stripe, it could just be a color morph enabling it to be more easily seen, but it is very possible that they may be different species all together.

adios,
edw. =D

Time to get ready for work. Back in the Am. adios!

 

[chau0046]

Well the fat one without the stripe down the middle looks to be very gravid! She looks like what mine looked like a week before birth. Mine don`t have that stiped red coloration down the middle of there tergites,But the bumpy patterns seem corect for C. Gracilis. Mine are exactly like the darker ones you have ,But more red on the extremities of the appendiges.Nice looking scorps!!
Are there a large diference in size between these?
My young are very redish in the leg area ...Kinda like C. Marg.

Mat
Could you pm me about what those go for ($)around where you are? Just want to compare price difference.Thanx in Advance!!

 

[chau0046]

I just took a look at my 2nd instar C. Gracilis with a Magn. Glass and they have very pronounced little red lines going down the middle of there tergites where as their mother doesn`t show any color there.

I think these colours show up in the young for better camoflage and then dissapear as they mature.

Mat

 

[chau0046]

Originally posted by phoenixxavierre
and another

#272-

Sheeee`s gonna POP !!!
I give it a week tops.


Mat=D ;P =D

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by XOskeletonRED
Probably. The one on the right may also be a C. margaritatus, but as you already noticed, it's pretty difficult to be positive with only photographs. But those stripes down the tergite, I haven't ever seen on C. margaritatus to be as noticeable as this.


adios,
edw.

Hey Edward,

Do you know what the basic differences are between C. gracilis and C. margaratitus?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by XOskeletonRED
Hey, Paul,

Can you tell if any of them have more elongation to caudal segments?


Umm...duh...what are caudal segments? Are you talking about the tergites? I'm still working on my vocab!



Male Centruroides margaritatus and gracilis are usually quite obvious of sexes.

All pics I have of male and female Grosphus madagascarensis show that they do not have this trademark between male and female, but only pedipalp size at such a noticeable amount.

As for the stripe, it could just be a color morph enabling it to be more easily seen, but it is very possible that they may be different species all together.

adios,
edw. =D

Time to get ready for work. Back in the Am. adios!

Thankyou, Ed!

Cheers,

Paul

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by chau0046
Well the fat one without the stripe down the middle looks to be very gravid! She looks like what mine looked like a week before birth. Mine don`t have that stiped red coloration down the middle of there tergites,But the bumpy patterns seem corect for C. Gracilis. Mine are exactly like the darker ones you have ,But more red on the extremities of the appendiges.Nice looking scorps!!
Are there a large diference in size between these?
My young are very redish in the leg area ...Kinda like C. Marg.

Mat
Could you pm me about what those go for ($)around where you are? Just want to compare price difference.Thanx in Advance!!

Hi Matt,

Judging by the pectine length, the one who looks like a gravid female, is a fat male coming up on a molt.

As far as size differences, the top picture is a picture of deli containers side by side.

Did you get my pm?

Thanks, Matt!

Paul

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by chau0046
I just took a look at my 2nd instar C. Gracilis with a Magn. Glass and they have very pronounced little red lines going down the middle of there tergites where as their mother doesn`t show any color there.

I think these colours show up in the young for better camoflage and then dissapear as they mature.

Mat

Very interesting! Anyone else notice this on their C. gracilis as well?

Cheers,

Paul

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by chau0046
#272-

Sheeee`s gonna POP !!!
I give it a week tops.


Mat=D ;P =D

Is there much pectinal difference in sexes in this species? This "female" had really long pectines (for a female). I'm sort of wondering if it's a molting male :?

Take care,

Paul

 

[chau0046]

Hey!

Sorry it took me so long to answer back.
Thanks for the info.Man up here they go for 30$canadian, I`ve even seen them going for 60$. Thats Crazy! You guys dont ship to canada ,eh?

I`m more than positve those little guys are C. Gracilis

Just wondering what you used as a "key" to differentiate them sexually?

My male is quite skinny and have never seen them grow to be large in the intersegmental area. I`d still put money down that that is a gravid female. Do me a favor and hold on to it for a couple weeks. (anyone else with me on this?)If you can get her in a tank with tall vertical hides i`m sure she`ll pop them.As for it being a male ,,,there two things that draw me away from thinking that it is , 1-the caudal segments aren`t elongated at al ,2-Males don`t gorge themselves like that. Also, That looks to be full grown and i don`t think it`ll moult again. Just my opinion.

As for caudal segments they are the six segments that form the tail. The fifth one on the male is usualy more more elongated than the females. I beleive this shows up in most Centruroides species but not extremely in C. Gracilis.


Well good luck.

Mat Chauvin

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Paul, in the vast majority of Centruroides scorpions that I have seen, some or all of the segments of the male's tail (cauda) range from being 1.25 to 2 times the length of the same segments of the female's cauda, when comparing similar sized scorps (the male's tergite segments are relatively the same width as the female's, not to include the usual growth of the female's pleural membrane [skin that stretches and tends to make them appear fat after eating]). Edit: The male's caudal segments are usually a slight bit more narrow than female's, as well, making them look very skinny.


adios,
edw. =D

 

[Wade]

Is it possible that the color differences are the result of a recent molt by the lighter-colored (yellow legged) one? I've noticed that freshly-molted C. gracilis will have a simmilar multi-colored appearance after molting, but they quickly brown-out to their usual somber coloration.

Wade

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Indeed, Wade, many recently molted scorps do tend to have a slightly different color pattern than scorps with hardened exoskeletons, though the pics Paul posted appear to be that of a descently hardened scorp's exo. They appear relatively darkened in all locations, except the stripe and legs. Then again, we may not be able to visually see the same dark coloration as seen in the legs in the form of a stripe on the darkened scorp's tergite. It just might be too dark to notice.


adios,
edw.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their replies and helpful info!

Thanks, everyone!

Take care,

Paul