Hemiscolopendra marginata - Florida Blue Centipede

[padkison]

I saw two H. marginata while collecting spiders the other night. They were crawling on tree trunks down low, probably after wood roaches that were about. I had no luck getting them. They stick to the tree and then drop if I try to flick them into a cup. Once they hit the leaf litter, they are quick.

Do I just need to grab these and do a quick transfer? How bad is getting tagged by one of these?

What's the quickie husbandry on this species?

Thanks

[cacoseraph]

well, it all depends on what you consider bad. i consider an obligatory trip to the hospital bad... some ppl consider a little stinging sensation bad.

from what i have heard from other people it just stings. you might get some local swelling based on having been bit by a lot of other centipedes. i'd say 95% of the time i grab a centipede (mostly S. polymorpha, and a few Scolopocryptops) i don't get bit. if it is cooler temps (like <70*F) it seems like i am even less likely to get bit.

i personally would just grab it =P

[bliss]

hello padkison and cacoseraph. yes, cacoseraph, that was a 3" Hemiscolopendra marginata i caught day before yesterday, i opened its container last night to feed it a small cricket, but when i opened the lid, it ran out toward me, so i grabbed it.... lol, little bugger got me, only a raised area appeared at the bite wound, just felt like urticating hair basically, a little stinging. i then got him back in the container, threw the cricket in, and he tore that poor cricket up!!!!

PS: padkison lives in the same area i do, so he might know.... do either of you know what the little red/orange centipedes are here in NC??? i've seen some that were pretty massive, at least 4".. then there are some that only get up to about 3", they are dark burgandy with bluish/black head and posterior (terminal legs). (im just now starting to get into local centipedes)

[cacoseraph]

hello padkison and cacoseraph. yes, cacoseraph, that was a 3" Hemiscolopendra marginata i caught day before yesterday, i opened its container last night to feed it a small cricket, but when i opened the lid, it ran out toward me, so i grabbed it.... lol, little bugger got me, only a raised area appeared at the bite wound, just felt like urticating hair basically, a little stinging. i then got him back in the container, threw the cricket in, and he tore that poor cricket up!!!!

PS: padkison lives in the same area i do, so he might know.... do either of you know what the little red/orange centipedes are here in NC??? i've seen some that were pretty massive, at least 4".. then there are some that only get up to about 3", they are dark burgandy with bluish/black head and posterior (terminal legs). (im just now starting to get into local centipedes)


bliss, count the number of walking legs (including terminals). if it has 21 or 23it is some kind of giant centipede. i would suspect it is a scolopocryptop, which have 23 walking leg pairs and NO EYES

if it has 15 pairs then it is a pracking whopper of a stone centipede (which i have seen reach 3" bodylength)

[padkison]

You're over in the foothills where it is cooler than here on the piedmont/edge of the coastal plain. Fauna is likely somewhat different. I've seen the orange stone centipedes here, but nothing much over 2 inches. I hadn't realized H. marginata was here until one crawled up my wife's leg one night here in the house. I had to swear up and down it was not one of mine.

PS: padkison lives in the same area i do, so he might know.... do either of you know what the little red/orange centipedes are here in NC??? i've seen some that were pretty massive, at least 4".. then there are some that only get up to about 3", they are dark burgandy with bluish/black head and posterior (terminal legs). (im just now starting to get into local centipedes)

[bliss]

ha ha! just found another, and now i plan to sell these two. :)