Scolopendra dehaani
Species of centipede
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scolopendra dehaani, the giant Vietnamese centipede, is a large scolopendrid centipede found across Mainland Southeast Asia.[2][3] It is also found in India, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[1]
| Giant Vietnamese centipede | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Chilopoda |
| Order: | Scolopendromorpha |
| Family: | Scolopendridae |
| Genus: | Scolopendra |
| Species: | S. dehaani |
| Binomial name | |
| Scolopendra dehaani Brandt, 1840 | |
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| Synonyms | |
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List
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Taxonomy
Scolopendra dehaani was originally named by Brandt in 1840, but was reclassified by Carl Attems in 1930 as a subspecies of Scolopendra subspinipes. A 2012 paper reclassified it as a separate species.[1]
Morphology
Scolopendra dehaani is one of the largest centipedes in the genus Scolopendra, and some specimens have been found to reach or exceed 25 cm in length.[2][4] It usually lives for five to six years.[5] Specimens usually have brownish-orange tergites (the hard plates on the tops of the segments) and yellow . In a 2016 paper, the authors suggested S. dehaani has five distinct colour morphs: four were dichromatic, one other was monochromatic, and all were generally reddish, brown, or orange in coloration:
| # | Head | Segments | Tergites | Antennae | Legs | Pleurites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark brown | Dark brown | Back border with dark band | Reddish-brown | Chestnut brown | Brownish |
| 2 | "Brown or yellowish orange" | "Brown or yellowish orange" | Back border with dark band | Yellowish orange | Dark Brown | Pale Grey |
| 3 | Reddish-brown | Reddish-brown | - | Reddish-brown | Yellowish, except 20th and ultimate legs, which are reddish-brown. | Brownish |
| 4 | Bright red | Back border with dark band | Yellow or bright orange | Yellowish, except 20th and ultimate legs, which are reddish. | Orange | |
| 5 | Cherry red | Cherry red | Back border with dark band | Reddish or orange | Reddish | Orange |
Diet
Scolopendra dehaani usually preys on smaller arthropods such as insects, spiders, and vinegaroons, but they have been found eating small snakes and other vertebrates, including, in one observation, a tree frog.[6][5][2][7]
One paper suggested that S. dehaani forages arboreally, and it has even been recorded doing so in daytime.[7]
A: Juvenile B: Sub-adult C: Adult
S. dehaani eating a snake of the genus Hypsiscopus.
