Los Angeles centipedes

Rabid Flea

Arachnobaron
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Ok guys here is an interesting question for you all, I have never kept pedes so Im a total idiot. I manage my apartment building and one day I was walking through my lobby and I saw a baby pede running across my marble floors. It was a total of an inch long and it was blood red with yellow legs. I after noticing this lil guy, I have managed to see quite a few more of them. Does anyone know what species is native to LA area and how big they get at adult size?
 

Kayv

Arachnobaron
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Sorry can't help with the specie but I doubt it was a baby, probably a full grown adult. Up here in northern Cali the largest pede I've seen was 4 inches at the most. Usually all the ones I see are 1 icnh or less.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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it was probably a stone centipede
Lithobius genus

They look sort of like scolopendramorphs, but with proportionally longer legs. also the leg segment shapes look more like human bones to me, for some reason
 

Rabid Flea

Arachnobaron
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im not sure, I will try to collect a few and take pix, i was soooo exited to see a lil pede, i thought those were only tropical, but hey, strange things happen here in Los Angeles. They were quite pretty but very very tiny. IMO I would have never guessed they were adults. Very interesting critters, i was still afraid to touch it with my bare hands cuz i dont know if all of them are venomous.
 

MizM

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It probably one of the following two:

Scolopendra polymorpha
This is one of the giant species of U.S. centipedes (chilopods). Although not as large as Scolopendra heros, this vicious creature can be nearly 6 inches (150mm) long and as big around as your little finger. This monster is as happy to grab you with his back end as well as with his front.

Scolopendra heros
This is the largest species of centipede native to the US and it is said that this species can be up to twelve inches in length, however a max of 8 inches is a bit more reality based. Of course this animal is extremely active and devours other insects, small lizards, and tiny mammals. Although not quite as big as some species of exotic centipedes, S. heros is much more colorful than most types available.

I've kept polymorpha and had them up to 5". Check this site for more info.
 

edesign

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JeKo said:
im not sure, I will try to collect a few and take pix, i was soooo exited to see a lil pede, i thought those were only tropical, but hey, strange things happen here in Los Angeles.
we had centipedes in central Alaska too...go figure. Just lil reddish/orange ones, averaged around 2.5", occasionally found one pushing the 4" mark, not sure the species though...too lazy to look :D
 

Rabid Flea

Arachnobaron
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MizM said:
It probably one of the following two:

Scolopendra polymorpha
This is one of the giant species of U.S. centipedes (chilopods). Although not as large as Scolopendra heros, this vicious creature can be nearly 6 inches (150mm) long and as big around as your little finger. This monster is as happy to grab you with his back end as well as with his front.

Scolopendra heros
This is the largest species of centipede native to the US and it is said that this species can be up to twelve inches in length, however a max of 8 inches is a bit more reality based. Of course this animal is extremely active and devours other insects, small lizards, and tiny mammals. Although not quite as big as some species of exotic centipedes, S. heros is much more colorful than most types available.

I've kept polymorpha and had them up to 5". Check this site for more info.
Thanks MizM im going to go out right now and try and catch one of the buggers... update soon!
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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MizM said:
It probably one of the following two:

Scolopendra polymorpha
This is one of the giant species of U.S. centipedes (chilopods). Although not as large as Scolopendra heros, this vicious creature can be nearly 6 inches (150mm) long and as big around as your little finger. This monster is as happy to grab you with his back end as well as with his front.

I've kept polymorpha and had them up to 5". Check this site for more info.
my polymorpha is pushing past 6" and is about as thick as my thumb :)
i'm going to hold him one day. he really loves me, he's just confused about things right now
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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JeKo said:
im not sure, I will try to collect a few and take pix, i was soooo exited to see a lil pede, i thought those were only tropical, but hey, strange things happen here in Los Angeles. They were quite pretty but very very tiny. IMO I would have never guessed they were adults. Very interesting critters, i was still afraid to touch it with my bare hands cuz i dont know if all of them are venomous.
dude, we have a pretty sweet selection of local fauna here. you are probably within 50 miles of 3-4 tarantula (all aphonopelma) species and 6-8 scorp species
2 scolopendra (polymorpha & viridis)
harvestmen
CA trapdoor (Bothriocyrtum californicum)
10-15 *other* myglamorph

there are no native centipedes that are dangerously venomous and i grab up to 4" polymorpha barehanded when catching them. just don't squeeze them and you're ok. but seriously.. don't squeeze them =P

a 6" S. polymorpha (Tiger centipede) could certainly put the hurt on if it tagged you, but not likely to send you to hospital

most dangerous bugs we have here are bees & other hymenoptera

OH!

there are also geophilomorpha and scutigeramorpha centipedes

geophilo = soil lover. these guys are extremely long and thin, max out at ~3" maybe 3.5" and can be red or gold or gold witha red head (my fav). but these look NOTHING like a scolopendra. they look closer to a worm than a centipede

and scutigera look like freakin aliens. i have one right now i caught a couple weeks ago, i'll try to take a pic :)
 

MizM

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Yes, it's quite amazing what has survived the desecration of California!!

Our millies are very cool too!
 
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