# Typical House Centipedes (*scutigeridae*)

Typical House Centipedes are fast little creatures that scurry around your home! They have long legs and can move quickly to catch their dinner—small bugs!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** They live in damp areas inside homes, such as basements and bathrooms.
- **Also known as:** hundred-legged worm

![Typical House Centipedes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scutigera_coleoptrata_MHNT.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scutigera_coleoptrata_MHNT.jpg)

## Appearance

The Typical House Centipede has a yellowish-grey body with three dark stripes running down its back. It is characterized by its exceptionally long, delicate, striped legs and even longer antennae, giving it a distinctive, bristly appearance that makes it instantly recognizable from other arthropods.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Chilopoda
- **Order:** Scutigeromorpha
- **Family:** Scutigeridae
- **Genus:** Scutigera

## Interesting facts

- A centipede can run so fast, it looks like a blur zipping across the floor!
- Despite their scary appearance, their bite is usually harmless to humans, just like a bee sting!
- House centipedes actually help keep your home clean by eating bothersome insects like cockroaches!
- They have many leg pairs, but always an \*odd\* number of pairs, never an even amount!

## Special abilities

- **Lightning Legs:** Typical House Centipedes can run incredibly fast and change direction instantly because of their numerous, flexible legs, helping them catch agile prey.
- **Venomous Vangs:** Typical House Centipedes have small, potent venom glands in their front legs that help them quickly subdue larger insect prey.
- **Escape Artist:** Typical House Centipedes can shed a leg when caught by a predator, which then twitches to distract the threat, allowing them to escape.
- **Night Vision Antennae:** Typical House Centipedes use their extremely long, sensitive antennae to 'feel' their surroundings and pinpoint prey in complete darkness.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 25-35 mm
- **Lifespan:** 1095-2555 days
- **Leg Count:** 30

## Diet & Feeding

These quick hunters eat other small bugs, keeping your home pest-free!

- **Primary Foods:** spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, termites, ants
- **Foraging Method:** Pursuit

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** German Cockroach (*Blattella germanica*) — A common household pest they actively pursue.
- **Hunts:** Silverfish (*Ctenolepisma longicaudatum*) — They actively hunt these paper-eating insects.
- **Hunts:** Barn Funnel Weaver (*Tegenaria domestica*) — Preys on many common house spiders.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)
- [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Centipedes can bite if threatened, but they are not dangerous to humans.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Typical House Centipedes?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Typical House Centipedes?

25-35 mm

### How long does Typical House Centipedes live?

1095-2555 days

### What does Typical House Centipedes eat?

These quick hunters eat other small bugs, keeping your home pest-free!

### Where is Typical House Centipedes usually found?

They live in damp areas inside homes, such as basements and bathrooms.

### How does Typical House Centipedes hunt?

Pursuit

### How many legs does Typical House Centipedes have?

30

## Where to spot

- [Serra Mesa Community Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/serra-mesa-community-park) — California, US · Park

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Typical House Centipedes: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/typical-house-centipedes)