Travels!
Location: Amazon
July 18, 2011 5:36 pm
I’m not sure if you answer requests for people who aren’t in the US/Canada/Britain etc, but I thought I’d give it a shot anyway.
This centipede I saw somewhere in the Amazon basin, right on the Eastern edge of the Andes mountains (near Ecuador). We were on a night walk and the guide said not to touch it as it was extremely poisonous. It’s pretty big.. Maybe four inches, though I could be exaggerating as it was a couple years ago.
Also, I love your site.
Also also, I’ve got many more unidentified bugs from various trips around the world.. I love taking bug pictures. But I figure this is a good start — I’ve always wondered about this guy.
Signature: K
House Centipede
Hi K,
Even though it was found in the Amazon jungle, this is a House Centipede in the order Scutigeromorpha. House Centipedes, like other Centipedes, inject venom through hollow “fangs” when they bite. We always tell readers that our North American House Centipedes are harmless despite being venomous. We don’t know what to say about the virulence of the venom of your Amazonian House Centipede.
¶ Posted 18 July 2011 § ‡ ° Centipede
Location: southwestern Ohio
June 24, 2011 2:48 pm
I am trying to identify this centipede species. It was found in the woods under a rock near a creek.The area it was found in was southwestern Ohio.The centipede was small and yellow in color. It had similarities to a Garden Centipede but was different. The tail end section was much fatter than that of the Garden Centipede. I’m sure it is common but I do not know the species.
Signature: Caveman Etris
Centipede
Dear Caveman Etris,
The terminal appendages on your Centipede are very distinctive. We believe your individual may be Theatops posticus or a related species in the genus, based on this and other photos posted to BugGuide. The range of the species is not indicated on BugGuide, however the data page on bugGuide indicates a northerly sighting from North Carolina.
¶ Posted 25 June 2011 § ‡ ° What is it?
Location: Portland, OR
May 17, 2011 3:21 am
A friend found this in a bag of potatoes at work. What the hell is it?
Signature: Vincent B. Dastardly
House Centipede Carnage
Dear Vincent B. Dastardly,
This is a harmless, beneficial House Centipede and now it is dead. House Centipedes will help to keep the home free of Cockroaches and other undesirable creatures by feeding upon them at night. They are shy, elusive creatures that can run quite quickly on those sixteen pairs of legs.
Red Headed Centipede ?
Location: Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. Eastern Shore
May 15, 2011 10:06 pm
Hi Guys ~
I Love Your Site ! Ive used it several times to identify friend or foe… and You are always my first stop for instant answers.
I was working at Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas… 2 hours west of Dallas the first of May 2011. I found this guy upside down and already deceased on the back porch… At first I though it was a Rattlesnake Rattle… because He was upside down… After reading Your site.. I do believe this is a Red Headed Centipede.. slightly discolored because he was in the Sun for probably weeks before I found him….
From My Ring finger to My Wrist is 4 and 3/4 inches…
I Hope You enjoy these Photos, and I Hope I’m right ~ Giant redheaded centipede, Order: Scolopendromorpha, Family: Scolopendridae, Genus and species: Scolopendra heros Girard. ……………… ONE MEAN BUG !!!!
Thanks for all You Do !
Signature: Bart
Ok… He is really 5 inches long.. cause His “stingers” go past my
wrist ~ I didn’t count his antennae
Dead Red Headed Centipede
Hi Bart,
Thanks for the compliment. We agree 100% with your identification of the Red Headed Centipede. Since they grow to nearly double the size of the individual you found, they are quite impressive and formidable creatures.
Red Headed Centipede found dead
¶ Posted 16 May 2011 § ‡ ° scary creepy bug!!
Location: salem mass, us
April 27, 2011 9:59 pm
Hi bugman. While enjoying a movie this critter glided across the floor moving so fast!! Please help identify what he is so we can sleep at night!!
Signature: thank you!!
House Centipede
Because they are nocturnal hunters, House Centipedes often startle folks while they are relaxing and watching television. We occasionally receive a contrary comment when we post that House Centipedes are harmless, so instead, we will indicate that though a large House Centipede might bite if it is carelessly handled, their venom is mild and in the unlikely event that a person is bitten, the effects would be quite mild. We seriously doubt that people would have much of a chance of handling a House Centipede, because as your email indicates, they are quite fast. House Cats frequently catch and torment House Centipedes.
¶ Posted 28 April 2011 § ‡ ° Just Curious
Location: Huntington, WV
April 5, 2011 9:11 am
Absolutly LOVE the site. I have learned quite a bit about the insect world. I really appreciate what you all do here.
I do have one request. I do have a bad allergy to bee stings and some bug bites, as I’m sure many people do, and was wondering if it was possible to include in the info you provide whether the insect stings or bites? Would really help us with allergies out, especially those of us who play with bugs. LOL
Thanks for your help! And keep up the GREAT work.
Signature: Rick
Red Headed Centipede
Hi Rick,
Thanks for your suggestion. We generally do make a comment if there is a chance that the creature in question might bite a person or if the creature is venomous. Just try to use our search engine and see how many “stinging caterpillar” entries we have or “toxic milkweed grasshopper” mentions. In case you are curious, we have 128 matches for “stinging caterpillar” and 25 matches for “toxic milkweed grasshopper”. We caution readers about carelessly handling Assassin Bugs and we warn our readership that Toe-Biters bite. We do not sensationalize the possibility of bee or wasp stings because they will not attack humans without provocation. If we could think of one creature we would not want to be bitten by, it would probably be the Red Headed Centipedes found in Texas and Oklahoma. We are running a photo of the Red Headed Centipede from our archives with your letter. If the creature doesn’t bite, or if the bite poses no threat, we generally do not address the issue.
¶ Posted 06 April 2011 § ‡ ° bug
Location: North West Pa
March 19, 2011 8:08 pm
this was running across my sisters floor. what is it?
Signature: Tessa
What befell this House Centipede?
Hi Tessa,
It appears this harmless and beneficial House Centipede will never run again. House Centipedes are beneficial nocturnal predators that will help keep your home clear of unwanted pests like Cockroaches and Bed Bugs.
House centipede
Well hello again, bugman!
This email isn’t an insect submission or question; instead it’s a “what the heck?” at a severely misinformed person profiting by telling lies of helpful hunter insects.
I stumbled across this website (linked below) while looking up insects with my wife. I should warn you, there is a rather graphic image on the homepage of what is actually a Brown Recluse spider bite, not a House Centipede bite as the website claims.
http://housecentipedes.info/house-centipedes-bite.php
It seems as though this website aims to spread false information about House Centipedes, and then sells literature, ideas, etc. on how to exterminate them from your home.
I sent an email to jill@housecentipedecontrol.com, in hopes to inform her of the farce of the website. I made sure to include some of the information I learned from your (wonderful!) website to try to educate her. Would you care to kindly do the same?
Kyle
Update
WAIT, WAIT…my mistake. Jill is NOT affiliated with the first website I linked…
Still though, BOTH websites are misinformed on house centipedes! Why?
Kyle Church
House Centipede photo from our archives
Dear Kyle,
Thank you for alerting us to this website that has falsely accused the beneficial House Centipede of being a “blood thirsty freak.” While we have nothing against entrepreneurial endeavors, we would like to caution the web browsing public that there are many sensationalistic statements on the internet that are published in an opinionated form, hence they are protected by the First Amendment and the right of Freedom of Speech.
¶ Posted 28 February 2011 § ‡ ° 
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