I did a little research on this species, and I am inclined to agree with you on species. One site had this to say about this species: "Range: Large part of CA, excluding exreme east and south... this is your "cold" centipede." (1) "Cold" is a good description of the mountains where I live, even in the summer sometimes.

The only other option is Scolopocryptops gracilis, so hopefully an expert will confirm.

Here are range maps of both our CA species: S. spinicuadus and S. gracilis.

I'm just a novice with centipedes, and have recently been trying to cull info on the group by searching for literature and reading comments on BG posts. To the best of my current knowledge, characters separating those two species involve:

    1) hair pattern on antennae;
    2) presence or absence of conspicuous "striae" on the dorsum of the tergites (see gracilis here); and
    3) degree of punctation on the top of the head : deeper and coarser in spinicuadus...finer in gracilis.

Unfortunately, discerning all these characters requires closer, more detailed images than most HG posts provide.

Hopefully Joseph DiSisto (or even the venerable Rowland Shelley) will examine the post and be able to clarify the ID (and also, perhaps, the subtleties and relevance here of the characters I mentioned.)

... thank you for taking the time to provide this informative comment. I see these centipedes now and then in my bug hunting; but have not brought any in for better photos, but will be on the lookout for another specimen to do just that!

Besides close-ups of the first 3 or so antennae segments; of the punctation on the head; and of the presence or absence of stria (=longitudinal grooves) on the tergites...you might also try for a close-up of the "ultimate" legs. I think I read the last few segments are supposed to be densely pubescent in one species and not in the other.

BTW, I always enjoy your posts...nice clear shots of interesting taxa :-)