House Centipede - (Scutigera coleoptrata)

The House Centipede is a very common sight throughout North America, particularly found in indoor locations that are wet or damp and most often times active at night. In warmer climates, they may be found outdoors as well as indoors.

House Centipedes are no strangers to bathtubs and will sometimes emerge from drain holes. Other house locations that they may be found in is the crawlspace, near the porch area (drawn in by porch lights) and in basin-type setups.

House Centipedes are covered with black and yellow to white coloring. Legs appear to surround the body which consists of 15 pairs of banded legs. The body itself is striped lengthwise with a dark-to-light-to-dark pattern. Large compound eyes adorn the head and males typically have very long antennae. The last pair of legs in the series on the body will typically be the longest. As hideous as these insects may appear, the House Centipede is actually super-beneficial to the under-workings of a home, assisting in keeping bigger pests such as cockroaches and moths at bay. House Centipedes move EXTREMELY fast and run with their bodies held high above the ground. Only when they stop do they bring their bodies back down to the surface.

Category: Centipede
Common name: House Centipede
Scientific Name: Scutigera   coleoptrata
Other Names: Centipede

Adult Size (Length): 34mm to 35mm (1.34in to 1.38in) [ COMPARE ]

Identifying Colors: black; brown; ivory; yellow; white

General Description: many legs; extremely fast; large

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Arkansas; Arizona; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Nevada; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; Wisconsin; West Virginia; Wyoming

* Since insects do not obey man-made borders on a map, they may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.