We used to get 5 inch long centipedes in our yard in NM. They didn’t have the pretty red and black colors of this one.
We also had these huge wasps that apparently bred their young in live Tarantulas (Tarantula Hawk Wasps).
“We also had these huge wasps that apparently bred their young in live Tarantulas (Tarantula Hawk Wasps)”
IIRC, that species of wasp, or one similar to it, was one of Ridley Scott’s inspirations in the movie Alien.
“used to get 5 inch long centipedes in our yard in NM. They didn’t have the pretty red and black colors of this one.”
LOL! I have them all over my place here in southern NM. If I walked over to the firewood pile right now, I’d only have to spend about half a minute before I could find one. They’ve never bothered me, but to the uninitiated, they can seem quite terrifying. It’s the little 3/4” translucent scorpions that I kill on sight. Their sting will make a person quite ill, at best. I also know of those Tarantula Wasps. I favor the tarantulas, so I kill the wasps. Now that we’ve finally gotten some summer rains, the tarantulas are coming out. Some of these species of tarantulas don’t even start to breed until they are 15 or so years old.