Scolopendra altrenans species Puerto Rico

[CHLee]

I remember it being more of an inference and what I read was probably from the 80s or 90s. It said something like, "....there is a large subspinipes from Dominican...." So I assumed the document was referring to the Hispaniola centipede. This would have been when there was probably no or little hobby interest in the diddly. It was a very short mentioning of it, I remember it being in a pdf somewhere. I bet it was something mentioned way too soon, without taking a really good look at the pede. They may have noticed no ring furrow so, maybe they just made a guess there.

Oops I misread your original comment, I somehow thought you said they were sold as subspinipes or something lol

 

[Scoly]

I think this photo of a specimen from Aruba island might sway people's opinion in favour of Red Giants being alternans

(Photo taken from: https://mulpix.com/post/990016045720201303.html)

It seems that back circa 2009 people were of the opinion Red Giants were simply alternans, but that has sort of dropped out of common knowledge (or perhaps it's been challenged?)

There's a thread here discussing it: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/new-centipedes.142848/page-2 (sadly photos are no longer visible).

Talking of opinions and rumours here are some (conflicting) things I've heard:
- Alternans can grow to 12" on Puerto Rico.
- Someone who got bitten by a foot long pede in Puerto Rico and had to spend a week in hospital (but that could have be a subspinipes?)
- Alternans have really potent venom (According to Michael Dixon in his youtube videos, though he may have changed his mind)
- Alternans have really weak venom (David Gray, who has take many bites from this species)
- Hispaniola Red Giants have really weak venom (I think I read that from CH Lee/ micheldied, but on Facebook?)

I wonder if the presence of S. subspinipes on these islands may be the source of confusion on venom potency with some bite reports wrongly being attributed to alternans.

 

[Galapoheros]

My guess has always been Hispaniola is alternans, I wish somebody would clear it up. I remember there was somebody(scientist/student, can't remember) trying to clear it up a few years ago but I never heard any conclusion. The subspinipes miss-ID years ago was only trivia from me, there's no subspinipes that I know of in Puerto Rico.

 

[Staehilomyces]

There's a recent thread on here where someone found a subspinipes at PR, initially thinking it was an alternans.

 

[Galapoheros]

There's a recent thread on here where someone found a subspinipes at PR, initially thinking it was an alternans.

Oh weird, I'll have to go check that out.

 

[JAFUENTES]

Oh weird, I'll have to go check that out.

When I look at the pictures in that thread I knew that it wasn't an altrenans. My little fella is an altrenans.

 

[JAFUENTES]

Nice... He's a big boy now...

8" now

 

[LawnShrimp]

Centipedes are bloody confusing.

Hispaniolan reds are definitely not subspinipes as they have far too many spines on their terminals. Most people including me think that they are a morph of alternans but as far as I know that hasn't been definitively proven.

Subspinipes in the Caribbean confuse me. They have very similar coloration and morphology to Hawaiian and other subspinipes from SE Asia. Two threads on AB prove that there are subspinipes in St. Lucia and Puerto Rico. Because both this species and alternans are found in PR, they may compete for resources. Also, does anyone know if subspinipes is native to the New World or introduced? It seems odd that a species with a primarily Old World distribution would be found in the Americas unless it is invasive or rafted a long way from home.

 

[JAFUENTES]

@LawnShrimp I'm liking the concept of a rafted species. The similarities of the Scolopendra Subspinipes from the Americans is to similar to those of the old world.

 

[cocolo2020]

I've read the ones in Puerto Rico generally get pretty big, I also read the giant red Caribbean centipede is a color form of alternans. Was that ever cleared up? Years ago, a scientist or two assumed the big red ones were a subspinipes.

I have a thread where they spot a big scolopendra in Puerto Rico. I am trying to identify the specie.