Blue centipede is a long-bodied arthropod containing many pairs of legs. The body of the blue centipede, like all other centipedes, is segmented and has one pair of legs attached with each segment. They are mainly carnivorous. They possess venom within their first pair of jaws and inject it into the body when they bite. The bite of the blue centipede can be identified by two puncture wounds, which can cause immediate and radiating pain. This pain can last up to several days. Therefore, it is advised not to touch blue centipedes and consult the doctor in case of complications.
What is a Blue centipede?
Blue centipedes are arthropods, particularly carnivorous, belonging to the Chilopoda class, subtype Myriapoda,which is a group of arthropods that includes a variety of centipedes and many multi-legged creatures also. Blue centipedes are long bodied metameric creatures with one pair of legs for each body segment. Most of them are generally venomous and can cause painful bites by injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules. Despite the name, blue centipedes can have a different number of legs, from 30 to 354.
The blue centipede size can range from a few millimeters in the smaller lithobiomorphs and geophylomorphs to about 30 cm (12 inches) in the largest scolopendromorphs. Centipedes can be found in a wide variety of environments. They usually have a dull shade that combines shades of brown and red. Cavernicole (cave-dwelling) and subterranean species may be unpigmented, and many tropical scolopendromorphs are brightly aposematic in color.
Blue centipede Bite
Blue centipedes have jaws, a modified pair of front legs that go around the head and behind the jaws, called Maxillipeds. Maxillipeds penetrate the victim’s tissue and inject poison produced by the gland at their base. The jaws of small centipedes are too weak to penetrate human skin, and their bite usually causes only minor discomfort, similar to that caused by a bee sting.
Smaller varieties of centipedes cause nothing more than a painful localized reaction, similar to a bee sting. However, larger species inject more venom through the bite and can cause more pain. Their bites can be very painful, but they are usually not lethal to humans. The problem can last up to several days. However, an experiment showed that pain usually goes away after a few hours. Still, swelling may form around the bite, and some people who have an attack may experience nausea, sweating, and swollen lymph nodes after an attack.
Typical Symptoms
To identify the bite of the blue centipede, you can look for:
- Two puncture wounds, which is as a result of the bite from the two modified claws.
- Immediate pain or radiating pain can occur, followed by redness and swelling around the bite.
Although the pain can last from several hours to several days – some have compared it to a bee sting – you may experience more severe symptoms, such as:
- Severe itching, local soreness, headache, swollen lymph nodes, dizziness, nausea, palpitations, restlessness, and increased blood pressure.
- Damage of tissues around the area of the bite by the blue centipede.
- In addition to being bitten, you can also get small puncture wounds laced with blistering venom where the clawed centipede has crawled over your skin.
Blue centipede Poison
Blue Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the Chilopoda class. They are predatory and poisonous. The venom is produced by a gland at the base of the canines and is injected by the jaws on the first segment of the body. When prey is captured, the poisonous gland is compressed by the surrounding muscles and releases toxins through the needle ducts. Despite this, the venom is usually not strong enough to pose a threat to human life, and most millipede bites are usually more painful to humans than dangerous.
Blue centipede Bite Treatment
Blue Centipedes should not be touched as they can bite. Young children and individuals with known allergies should be closely monitored after a centipede bite. If health problems arise, you should immediately contact your doctor.
Individuals who are allergic to other insects should closely monitor their symptoms in the event of a millipede bite. In addition to the initial pain caused by an attack, possible side effects include severe swelling, chills, fever, and weakness. In case of severe allergic reactions, you should immediately contact the emergency medical service.
However, in the event of a bite, you should immediately wash the wound with soap and water to minimize the chance of infection. You can apply ice (for 10 minutes, off for 10 minutes) or a cool damp bandage and local anaesthetic over the bite site to relieve pain.
