Varieties of subspinipes appear to be distributed throughout the Asian area and exactly which variations come from exactly where remains little studied. Specimens are frequently seen from Indonesia, but lately some Chinese specimens have been finding their way to market. The yellow legged variety may be Scolopendra subspinipes de haani. All of these centipedes are voracious predators and their venom can be medically significant. A bite to the skin that does not reach a vein or artery produces extreme pain, headaches, vomiting, and more.
Complications can lead to necrosis in the area of the bite.
At this writing, only one death has been reported, a young girl who was bitten on the head. Treat all centipedes with respect. Polymorpha is Latin for 'many form' and it lives up to its name. We have seen these entirely yellow, orange, blue, and any gradation in between. In December of 2000 we spotted a baby blue polymorpha with bluish black bars within the Phoenix city limits.