Sri Lankan Giant Millipede

Millipedes can be very challenging to identify, they all look pretty similar, but when I Googled the area (Sinharaja NP) and "black centipede" I found some photos that looked exactly like this one. Soooo . . .

comments (13)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Beautiful find! Weird is that I see several references calling this Cambula annulata (just like you did), yet the one that counts (eol.org) only knows Cambala annulata. That one may look close, but the distribution is USA. Not sure what to do know. Posted 8 years ago
1. Barry
  
  Lion
  
  Well, Ferdy, yo da Boss, so it is your call, but all of the pictures of Cambala annulata show it a very pale color and as you say distributed in North America, whereas Cambula annulata pulls up pictures of black millipedes with striped legs just like mine living in tropical Asia - so my money is on cambula. I will let you know if I discover anything otherwise. Posted 8 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    I'm only a boss when forced to be one ;)
    Cambula annulata definitely looks most likely, but it's very strange that eol.org does not have it. It's like the ultimate source of species info. If eol.org does not know it, something weird is going on. Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. WildFlower
      
      Lion
      
      I agree, Cambula doesn't seem to be a valid scientific name. It's probably a mistake that has been copied several times. Posted 8 years ago
    2. 1. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Thank you, I propose we do not copy it once more then :) Posted 8 years ago
      2. WildFlower
        
        Lion
        
        No, we shouldn't.
        Here is a recent list of species found in Sri Lanka. Maybe the authors could help narrow it down.
        https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289858025_Annotated_checklist_of_millipedes_Myriapoda_Diplopoda_of_Sri_Lanka Posted 8 years ago
        
        Barry
        
        Lion
        
        Thanks - I fixed it! Posted 8 years ago
        
        Barry
        
        Lion
        
        OK, I fixed it - man, I can't believe that the correct one was on JD the whole time!! But of course, that is why this is such a great site! Posted 8 years ago

Barry

Lion

OK, my bad - that will teach me to just believe a couple of sites on Google! The really stupid thing is that it was identified on JD the whole time - Aaargh! Posted 8 years ago
1. WildFlower
  
  Lion
  
  The problem is that at JD we do the best we can to identify the species but when we don't have an expert to check the ID we rely on more or less credible references. I am afraid that there are photos of two different species identified as Spirostreptus centrurus because the pattern of the legs is different so I don't know which one is correct. If you are willing to invest some time into this I would suggest that you write an email to the authors of the article from the link above, send them a link to the species page or to his photo and ask them if the species can be reliably identified from these photos, which one is Spirostreptus centrurus and if they are not the same, which is the other species because Ferdy has photos of both.
  http://vdinets.livejournal.com/1079372.html
  http://fieldherping.eu/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=19181&sid=655a8b5a0438209e054a8f024fbf05fb
  http://garytsphotos.zenfolio.com/p466221284/h511B0560#h511b0560
  https://www.flickr.com/photos/drriss/33345650241
  
  Posted 8 years ago
2. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Wasn't aware of that either. It is ok to put *some* trust in various online sources, but eol.org is a great way to verify that trust. Posted 8 years ago
3. 1. WildFlower
    
    Lion
    
    I know it is hard to keep track of all of your 6400 photos but most of these millipedes from Sri Lanka are yours ;) Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      I'm like a gold fish that keeps rediscovering my own photos :)
      But that was 2015. I'm a lot smarter now ;) Posted 8 years ago