Jim, thanks to your gentlemanly challenge I'm back in it! I was raised by a science teacher (Mum) and an entomologist (Dad) and used to have my act together when it came to arthropods. Years passed until I saw this beauty, uploaded it to this site and was gently reminded by you that I knew how to do the taxonomy! Thanks!!! This is Scolopendra Alternans, a big one. I've also seen some beautiful S. Viridii here, and have re-discovered my old passion thanks to you! I'll be posting more pics as I get them.

Welcome back then :-)

I've created a page for your images and moved them. I am a bit concerned, however, that most of the images that came up in a google search on Scolopendra alternans showed a lighter colored creature with a darker posterior margin on each segment.

Can you relate the factors that led you to conclude it was this species?

Yes, of course. I had to use process of elimination after narrowing it down to S. Alternans,S. Subspinipes or S. Morsitans, based on distribution in the U.S. and taxonomical detail (Source: North Carolina Museum of Natural Science) Also took into account that this family is difficult to determine by color, as stated by entomologists at the N.C. site as well as University of Iowa and Smithsonian sites. Best NC and Smithsonian arthropod texts could tell me was they had variations of brown or gray. S. Subspinipes I ruled out for 2 reasons: my guy had a lot more girth than S. Subspinipes' description (NC M.N.S.)plus I happened across an almost identical photo on this site under ID req. from a lady who lives about a mile away from me. Her son's Bio teacher had reported seeing many here in the Keys over the years. Hers was found dead in her pool. S. Subspinipes can swim, unlike its relatives. (That was just a deduction on my part, but not the basis for my final classification; chlorine absorbed through its tracheae might have killed it) S. Moritans I ruled out right away, due to the distinctive blue rings that species sports on its legs. According to Leach(1815), Scolopendra Alternans has limited distribution in the U.S.: Monroe, Dade, and Collier counties in Florida. I live in Monroe county.In short, it was my best educated guess. Sorry for waxing nerdlike there with the run-on....thanks again for the challenge. I've got more images of a smaller S. Alternans (yes, I'm looking for them now!) munching on a beetle that I'll upload in a few days.

I live in gainesville FL and am trying to aquire a few specimens of S. alternans. Any chance you can spare a few?

It's okay to "wax nerdlike" here :-) Most of us seem to enjoy learning from others.

Just checked out your Ecuador photos on Flickr; absolutely stunning, especially the Certonota-serinus variations. Someone named Colaspidae has been thru and IDed a lot of them since your last post. Thanks for the great shots.

Yes, Colaspidae posts here as Rob Westerduijn. I need to get the rest of my Ecuador pix on Flickr before I come back with more this September :-)

I know I do! My friends who don't share the same interest in arthropods with me tend to start giggling when I do that..
Yes, I'm learning a lot on this site. Storing up more facts to amuse my friends. Thanks for all your help! More pics as soon as I get a decent connection on this rock.

I think the family is Scolopendromorpha-or maybe that's the genus. I do know by the amount of pairs of legs that it is a species of tropical centipede, but I'm having trouble getting further classification.

If you go to Scolopendromorpha, you will see three families below it. I don't know how many families exist in that order. (Normally they are added as needed for photo submissions.)

I'm sorry I can't help with the ID but there are some myriopodophiles here who may eventually render assistance.

Thanks Jim! I'll give it a shot...