Centipede ID

[Elliott Long]

Could someone please tell me the species of this centipede? Found in Perth Western Australia. ~10cm. Can post different pics if needed.
Regards

 

[LawnShrimp]

I'm no expert, but I'd say that is an Ethmostigmus rubripes. The other few Australian centipedes are all more gracile and have much thinner terminal legs.

@Staehilomyces own these and no doubt is better at Australian 'pede ID than I am.

 

[Staehilomyces]

That's the blue legged form of Cormocephalus aurantiipes. It's a species often misidentified as E. rubripes.

 

[Elliott Long]

Thanks guys. What characteristics seperate this species from E.rubripes and S.morsitans?

 

[LawnShrimp]

That's the blue legged form of Cormocephalus aurantiipes. It's a species often misidentified as E. rubripes.

Oooh.... Well, leave it to those who know best! Although, I did notice the terminals seemed thick and antennae oddly short...

Thanks guys. What characteristics seperate this species from E.rubripes and S.morsitans?

Ethmostigmus is a genus in the subfamily Otostigminae, often identified by the very large, round, red, and bumpy first spiracle. Scolopendra is a genus in the subfamily Scolopendrinae, and their spiracles are not colorful and triangular. Both of those subfamilies and therefore both genera are in the family Scolopendridae. I'm not sure where Cormocephalus falls (Otostigminae or Scolopendrinae) but it is definitely in Scolopendridae.

Taxonomy, huh?

Class: Chilopoda
Order: Scolopendromorpha
Family: Scolopendridae
Subfamily: Scolopendrinae- Genus: Scolopendra ; Subfamily Otostigminae- Genus: Ethmostigmus, Genus: Rhysida

An easier way to see it. As for physical characteristics, S. morsitans is slender, paler, and smaller than E. rubripes. C. aurantiipes is probably of a similar length or smaller than S. morsitans, and definitely smaller than E. rubripes, though proportionately it is similarly thick.
(Beautiful 'pede by the way.)

 

[Staehilomyces]

Yeah, you pretty much hit it. However, colour is an unreliable method of identification, unless you are dealing with something really unique like S. hardwickei. There are pale variants of E. rubripes, and while I don't know of any dark morsitans variants, there are literally hundreds of variations present.

 

[LawnShrimp]

I don't know of any dark morsitans variants

There is a thread about an orange and black morsitans from South Africa you should see. Also, Indian morsitans are quite different from Australian ones and could be considered darker. The problem with centipede taxonomy is that there are some extremely widespread and highly polymorphic species that occur in many continents and countries, such as morsitans and subspinipes.

 

[Elliott Long]

Great info thanks guys

 

[RTTB]

Nice find!!