Heavy premolt

Draiman

Arachnoking
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It's molting season, apparently.

Here is my 6" Scolopendra subspinipes subspinipes in heavy premolt. I am expecting her to molt tonight. In the pictures below you notice how much her color has dulled and faded, as well as the extended headplate. The last two segments also become more opaque in the last couple of days prior to a molt.

Excuse the dirt and the poor quality though. I forgot to stop down the aperture for the first shot, hence the shallow depth of field.





I will, of course, add more pictures once she molts.
 
Last edited:

Satellite Rob

Arachnoangel
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Hi Gavin,
I cant beleave your S.S.S. made all that web.1 of mine molted a molt ago and
there was only small traces of web.It was barely noticable.
 

KyuZo

Arachnoprince
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centipede makes web before a molt? now that's is totally new to me?
never heard of.
 

Draiman

Arachnoking
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Hi Gavin,
I cant beleave your S.S.S. made all that web.1 of mine molted a molt ago and
there was only small traces of web.It was barely noticable.
:?

What you are seeing are scratches on the plastic, not webbing. ;)
 

Satellite Rob

Arachnoangel
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That makes alot more sence.It still looks like web on my computer.I have
a few pedes that I find small traces of web.I usually find it when i'm cleaning there
containers.Not much but enough to notice.
 

Draiman

Arachnoking
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Always like your pictures, Phark.
Thanks. edit: I'd prefer it if you called me Gavin :)

Well it seems my prediction was wrong; she hasn't started molting yet and it's already an hour past midnight. Hopefully she doesn't decide to do it at 4am or something...
 

Draiman

Arachnoking
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Haha, nice web ;)
And nice photos as always, any ideas about sex?
Thanks Greg. No idea really. But have a look at these pictures:





The differences are obvious, aren't they? I sent these pictures to Turgut and he wasn't sure if these are signs of sexual dimorphism.

Have a look at this picture as well (sorry Galapoheros, but I'd think you wouldn't mind):

 

peterbourbon

Arachnolord
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Nov 25, 2007
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622
Hi,

could be worth an experiment. Have you already put two of them together?

Here is the last tergite of a 100% female (recently it's on nymphs):



Regards
Turgut
 

KyuZo

Arachnoprince
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Actually... and maybe I'm getting old... but what significant difference are you seeing? :?
If you look that the areas that are circled, they look different from each other, even though they are from the same species.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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I'm not as interested in that small diff I saw in that old pic. I've seen width there change with molts and have had females with a small last segment and I have a male right now with an esp. wide last segment:confused: , so I feel like it hasn't gotten very far when it comes to sexing most pede sp, but hey, keep going with ideas, you never know!
 

szappan

Arachnobaron
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Mar 24, 2006
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If you look that the areas that are circled, they look different from each other, even though they are from the same species.
lol... yeah, I know there's supposed to be a difference, but I'm just not spotting what it is! :? But after staring at it long enough, I guess there's a slight difference in shape in the last segment... is that it? :p
 
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