ID this house centipede

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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interesting. the color and the spiracles look a little dif than S. coleoptera to me. how big is the cent and did you keep it?
 

P.jasonius

Arachnobaron
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Just over an inch in body length alone. I caught 5, but the cup I had them in blew over just before I put them in the truck. All but one escaped, so I let the last one go. No wind all day, and just before I leave there they all go. Next time I won't forget the lids.:8o
 

8+)

Arachnolord
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I agree the coloring is different from any coleoptrata I've seen, but how are you making out the spiracles in those photos?
 

P.jasonius

Arachnobaron
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Sorry, this is the only thing close to a ventral shot I have. Really wishing that cup hadn't blown over; they seemed to get along well enough where I could've had a little communal setup with them. If I lived closer to where I found them I'd just go get some more.
 

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cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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I agree the coloring is different from any coleoptrata I've seen, but how are you making out the spiracles in those photos?
scutigeramorpha bear a single spiracle per body segment, located dorsally. they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the spiracles
 

8+)

Arachnolord
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Thanks, I can see them clearly in the pics of the one buthus posted.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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scutigeramorpha bear a single spiracle per body segment, located dorsally. they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the spiracles
oops.
i meant to say "they are the peach-ish color blobs on ~half the bodysegments"
 

Androctonus_bic

Arachnoprince
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Remember that colour is not a varild key to Id centipedes...
Do you have another scutigeromorpha in USA?

Cheers
Carles
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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I know this tthread is a tad old....but here are a couple of pics of the same species I have found in Australia....assumably the same species, keys out to the same species as best I can tell.



 

bistrobob85

Arachnoprince
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Wow, great pics... i LOVE the leg pattern and also the way the ''tergites'' are put together... fascinating... So would S.coleoptrata be an introduced specie to Texas or to Australia or both?!?! Basically, where are they initially from?

phil.
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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So would S.coleoptrata be an introduced specie to Texas or to Australia or both?!?! Basically, where are they initially from?

phil.
Hi Phil

From what I have read they are from the Mediterranean and have managed to become introduced in various places throughout the world, obviously quite a hardy species capable of quickly adapting to local environments. I am finding them to be darn interesting thats for sure, as this is the first time I have really looked closely, even though I have often seen and photographed them. According to research it has only recently been conclusively proven they have real compound eyes, it was thought the eyes were of a pseudo-compound nature. The eyes seem to be of little use other than the usual negative phototactic response seen in most nocturnal arthropods, the animal relies heavily on the sense of touch and vibration to which it is highy tuned. The eyes are sensitive to uv light and the blue end of the spectrum, which tends to suggest daylight sensitive. This order also have an oxygen carrying pigment in the haemolymph, absent in other centipede orders and successive molts that give rise to extra legs each molt until the full complement of 30 is recognised, after which there are still I think 3 molts. Amazing creatures...thats for sure.
 

bistrobob85

Arachnoprince
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Wow Mark, thanks for the infos :). What about their tergites and sternites?!?! I've never seen a scutigeromorph in person and they dont seem to have a body as flexible as most of the other centipedes... Are the body segments rigid or mobile?

phil.
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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Hi Phil

They are extremely agile, that's for sure and run very fast. Not being long like scolopendra I guess limits the degree they can flex into a bent shape, which they dont seem to do, they do seem limited in that regard. The body segments do flex between each other, but I think the short 7 segment body physically disallows much bending. Too bad you've never met one....keep looking.

cheers
 
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