Can somebody help me identify this

Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
20
I've seen this image a couple times and it looks like an awesome tailless whip scorpion. The red color on it is just amazing.
I've been looking to buy a tailless whip scorpion and if I can know what type of tailless whip scorpion this is I'll probably buy it if it's common enough WboeVSE.jpg
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Genus is Heterophrynus, not sure on the species though. Doesn't strike me as H. batesii. @wizentrop @schmiggle may know more. I know I've seen this picture before, but I don't think I ever figured out which species it was.
 

mantisfan101

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Messages
1,755
Heterophrynus sp, I’ve seen these occasionally but they were always snatched up right away and they can be a bit costly too.
 

wizentrop

to the rescue!
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Messages
613
In most cases it is difficult to identify Heterophrynus to the species level based on a single photo without any info on locality.
Out of curiosity - if you had the species ID, what would you do with this information?
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
20
In most cases it is difficult to identify Heterophrynus to the species level based on a single photo without any info on locality.
Out of curiosity - if you had the species ID, what would you do with this information?
I would keep my eye out and look to see if anyone was selling one near me. I've saved up some money and I was looking to buy a tailless whip scorpion after quarantine.
 

wizentrop

to the rescue!
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Messages
613
I would keep my eye out and look to see if anyone was selling one near me. I've saved up some money and I was looking to buy a tailless whip scorpion after quarantine.
I see. Thanks for responding honestly to my weird question. If that's the case, I would suggest keeping your eyes open for any H. batesii being offered. This is currently one of the only species in breeding, and it does very well in captivity under the right conditions. It might not have the red legs, but even the colors in the whip spider in the above photo are temporary because it is freshly molted, so the bright red won't last more than a week or two.
Other species pop up in the hobby from time to time, usually H. elaphus or H. longicornis, but I have not heard of any breeding yet.
I would highly suggest against getting ANY wild caught Heterophrynus. Not only the majority of them are obtained illegally, but they also often arrive stressed and in poor health. Sometimes missing both whips and several walking legs. Those animals usually don't acclimate well to common captive conditions and die without breeding.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
20
I see. Thanks for responding honestly to my weird question. If that's the case, I would suggest keeping your eyes open for any H. batesii being offered. This is currently one of the only species in breeding, and it does very well in captivity under the right conditions. It might not have the red legs, but even the colors in the whip spider in the above photo are temporary because it is freshly molted, so the bright red won't last more than a week or two.
Other species pop up in the hobby from time to time, usually H. elaphus or H. longicornis, but I have not heard of any breeding yet.
I would highly suggest against getting ANY wild caught Heterophrynus. Not only the majority of them are obtained illegally, but they also often arrive stressed and in poor health. Sometimes missing both whips and several walking legs. Those animals usually don't acclimate well to common captive conditions and die without breeding.
I'll have to take a look at those that you mentioned. I'm very surprised that those colors were so Vivid due to recent molting. I will try not to buy any wild caught. thank you for telling me about their issues with being wild caught
 

schmiggle

Arachnoking
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
2,220
In the past I've convinced myself that this picture shows Heterophrynus armiger, on the basis of H. armiger photos all showing it being black with red legs (@Tommy the feeder cricket I had essentially the same thought as you, it's a gorgeous looking animal in the photo). However, I dug up Pocock's original description and he says H. armiger has standard coloration. This leads us to what we already knew, i.e., that @wizentrop consistently gives us totally unimpeachable information. I'm not aware of any Heterophrynus that have really distinctive coloration.

If anybody's bred Heterophrynus species other than H. batesii, it would be @Banshee05
 

Banshee05

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
635
this reddish coloration do many Heterophrynus members have, after molting. More reddish overall is H. elaphus.
But ID, as said by the other people here, is really a MESS. e.g. the complete batesii group, consisting of many species, are de facto identical to each other, or just part of variation. I series of revisions are going on sheeding some light into this mather.
Right now I am breeding a new undescirbed one from Colombia and batesii from Peru; and I do have my problems with them, even in the x-generation CB. Raising CB animals is easy, breeding not that much. Beside loving this genus by myself, I would anybody suggest to try other members of the phrynid family (bigger species, not such as P. eucharis or so).
 

wizentrop

to the rescue!
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Messages
613
@schmiggle This one is 100% not H. armiger. Yes, sometimes that species has some nice reddish coloration, but adults have shorter pedipalps with longer spines than in the photo.
 
Top