What is this thing on my centipede?

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Sethu

Arachnopeon
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Oct 1, 2012
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22
This is the best picture I could get. http://i.imgur.com/IjQjB.jpg
It is eating and active at night, and that leg works sometimes. Sometimes he'll just drag it along and other times it will work normally. Please help, I just purchased this one and I hope it isn't already dying.
 
zonbonzovi

zonbonzovi

Creeping beneath you
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Oct 20, 2008
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3,346
It looks like there was damage to the spiracle. Can you tell if the dark spot is dry or not? I've not had a 'pede with an entire spiracle wiped out so not sure whether it will regenerate on subsequent molts.
 
S

Sethu

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
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22
zonbonzovi said:
It looks like there was damage to the spiracle. Can you tell if the dark spot is dry or not? I've not had a 'pede with an entire spiracle wiped out so not sure whether it will regenerate on subsequent molts.
Click to expand...
I can't tell, but it looks dry. It just seems like a dry, black lump where the spiracle used to be. It does make sense that that's what it would be; I suppose I'll just have to wait for it to molt to see if it repairs itself.
 
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Insektzuchen

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Nov 12, 2012
Messages
109
Phorid Fly larvae

It appears that a parasitic Phorid Fly laid an egg in the spiracle opening and that it developed into a larva (maggot) by consuming some of your 'pedes tissue causing substantial damage. The resulting scar tissue will not go away with successive molts. It's there forever. Phorid Flies and nematodes are the two main parasites that attack centipedes.
While there isn't much to do to prevent the nematodes, Phorid Flies are attracted to decaying, uneaten insect prey left in the 'pedes enclosure. Prevention consists of removing any rotting food matter and not making the substrate soggy wet, just damp. Good luck!
 
Lurchenstien

Lurchenstien

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Apr 23, 2013
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Rather than a new thread, this looks similar , so I may as well post this here...

Four new S. dehaani arrived at mine this morning, all adults. One didn't look quite right straight away, the first thing I noticed about it was this black part on it's side. The leg at the centre of it isn't working, the 'pede seems to react slower than any of the others, a turkestan roach was running rings round her. She has eaten, I was going to remove the roach and put a slower dubia in for her, but she took the roach from the tongs.

I'd assume this is the same thing.

 
G

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Jul 4, 2005
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Looks like an injury to me, might happened when a collector grabbed it. Maybe it got loose or almost got loose while somebody else had it and got injured as they grabbed it, possibly with tongs and squeezing too hard. Injuries turn black on pedes and many other inverts, people are fast to call them fungal infection/mycosis. But fungi and bacteria do grow easily around injuries, a prob with all animal sps. Kind of looks like it scabbed over, should be better if it's able to molt again.
 
Lurchenstien

Lurchenstien

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Apr 23, 2013
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74
Cool, that's good to know, cheers. One of the others that arrived looks to have a scratch along one of the tergites, but nothing significant, and it wasn't as obvious as this.
 
Lurchenstien

Lurchenstien

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Apr 23, 2013
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74
Just figured I'd post an update.

My injured centipede perked up a bit, mated about a month ago. I checked him just now, and he's not in a good way, barely moving, not very responsive to being touched. He's more responsive towards the terminal legs than anywhere near the head, but still nothing like any of my other centipedes. I'm trying to get him to eat and drink, but I doubt he's going to see tomorrow.
 
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