House Centipede

Scutigera coleoptrata

The House Centipede is a fast little creature with many legs! They run around at night, helping to keep your home free of bugs.

Habitat: Homes and buildings

Appearance

The House Centipede has a yellowish-grey to brown body with three distinct dark stripes running down its back. It is visually striking due to its extremely long, delicate, and numerous legs that extend far beyond its flattened body, making it appear very spidery.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassChilopodaOrderScutigeromorphaFamilyScutigeridaeGenusScutigera

House Centipede

Interesting facts

Centipedes are not insects, but ancient relatives with many more legs!

House Centipedes can eat over 50 tiny bugs in just one night!

Their last pair of legs are extra-long and can trick predators into attacking the wrong end!

They meticulously clean their long antennae by pulling them through their mouthparts!

Special abilities

House Centipede can run up to 1.3 feet per second, ambushing prey because of its incredibly long, agile legs.

House Centipede has modified front legs that act as fangs, injecting venom to quickly paralyze prey for an easy meal.

House Centipede can detach a leg if caught by a predator, allowing it to escape while the leg twitches as a distraction.

House Centipede has super-long antennae covered in hairs that detect tiny air vibrations to find prey in total darkness.

Measurements & details

Size: 25-60 mm
Lifespan: 1095-2555 days
Leg Count: 30

Diet & Feeding

These quick hunters feast on common household pests using their venomous bite.

Primary Foods

spiders
cockroaches
silverfish
termites

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

German Cockroach

Blattella germanica

Keeps household populations of this pest in check.

hunts

Silverfish

Lepisma saccharina

Actively preys on these common household paper-eaters.

hunts

Common House Spider

Tegenaria domestica

Often preys on spiders found in human dwellings.

eaten by

Domestic Cat

Felis catus

Sometimes caught and eaten by curious house cats.

Traits

Wildlife

Step into the incredible world of wild animals and plants living freely in nature. From tiny insects to towering trees, it's all part of the wild wonders around us!

Solitary

Meet animals that enjoy their independence! These creatures prefer to live by themselves, finding food and shelter on their own.

Insectivorous

Discover clever creatures that specialize in munching on insects, playing a super important role in keeping bug populations in check. They are nature's tiny bug vacuums!

Speedster

Discover creatures that dart, zip, and fly with incredible swiftness, making them masters of rapid movement in their habitats. They are built for speed, whether chasing prey or escaping danger.