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Giant Red Headed Centipede from Texas
(05/07/2008) Big
ol' centipede?
I found this big critter right outside my front door this
morning. I found your site a short time later - and think
it just an Austin Texas sized multi-colored centipede. I saw
a few really good pictures on similar ones on your site, but
didn't see many that provided a good indicator of the overall
size, so I've attached a picture of it on a one dollar bill
with bricks in background.
Please let me know if I did a bad thing by putting it back
in the flower bed.
Thanks,
Steve W
Hi Steve,
You really know how to "do the right thing" and releasing your gorgeous Giant Red Headed Centipede, Scolopendra heros, is an excellent example. It is true that centipedes are venomous, and the bite of the Giant Red Headed Centipede is said to be quite painful, but the species is a valuable predator in the ecosystem that will rid your garden of many unwanted creatures. Centipedes are not aggressive and will not bit a human unles mishandled or otherwise provoked.
Edibility Update: (05/08/2008)
Edibility update: big centipedes!
Hi Daniel,
Sometime this year I'm going to finally dine on one of these large centipedes. They're traditionally consumed in.... in..... well darn it, of all the edible insects/arachnids/other arthropods I've learned about, I can't recall exactly where it's eaten. I'll hazard Peru. More importanly, David George Gordon's Eat-A-Bug Cookbook features a recipe, so that makes it totally legit.
All the best,
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
Giant
Red Headed Centipede
(04/21/2008) Centipede?
Hello,
I was recently at a home at Lake Travis 30 minutes north of
Austin, Texas, when I came across this awesome insect. I have
never seen anything like this before especially out in the
open. I was wondering what you call this type of insect, if
it was native to central Texas, and it if is harmful. Thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael,
First off, Centipedes are not insects as they have more than
6 legs. That is just the most obvious difference. Your centipede
is a Giant Red Headed Centipede, Scolopendra heros. Though
your photo shows the classic color variation of this species,
there are many other color forms depicted on BugGuide.
Like other centipedes, the Giant Red Headed Centipede does
have a venomous bite, and the bite is reported to be quite
painful. That said, it is not an aggressive species, unless
you are small enough to be food. Food can consist of small
vertibrates including reptiles, amphibians and rodents. We
do not consider this to be a harmful species, but it is a
formidible predator that will bite a person who disturbs it.
House
Centipede
(04/18/2008) 2nd try, I forgot to attach
OK, I did not kill it, I would never kill a bug What is this
guy? I just moved across country and know nothing of bugs
here. He was big.. he was cool. I let him go in the yard after
his photo shoot hehe. Is he dangerous to my kids/pets? TY,
I love you guys and use you more then you know!
Robin Lewis
Hi Robin,
Because of the frequency of queries, and because of the nearly
worldwide distribution, we always keep a photo of a harmless
House Centipede on our homepage. Actually, more than harmless,
they are beneficial predators. Thanks for doing a good deed
and releasing it.
Peruvian
Centipede
(03/06/2008) Peruvian centipede
Hi!
Can you tell me what the name of this centipede is? I
found in on a night hike in Manu Biosphere Reserve,
Peru. Thanks,
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
We started to research the Tropical Centipede genus Scolopendra,
and we found a Wikipedia
entry (with no photograph) of Scolopendra gigantea, the Peruvian
Giant Yellowleg Centipede, or Amazonian Giant Centipede. It
can reach 30 centimeters in length. Later photographs we found
online on Damn
Interesting do not really resemble your specimen. You
will have to be happy with just the genus name Scolopendra.
Interestingly, it looks very much like the Chinese Red Head,
Scolopendra mutilans pictured on Golden
Phoenix. At any rate, your photo is one of the most beautiful
Tropical Centipedes we have ever seen, and perhaps some reader
will provide us with a more exact identification.
House
Centipede
(01/16/2008) What is this bug?
Can you help me. It just crawled from under my couch. I'm
in NYC. Thank You.
This is a House Centipede and it is high time we replace
the image of a House Centipede on our homepage and your image
will do nicely. House Centipedes are harmless, or more accurately
beneficial. Chances are this specimen has been feeding on
cockroaches, bed bugs and other undesireable roommates in
your apartment.
Red
Headed Centipede: Drowned in Texas Pool
(11/21/2007)
We found this in our pool after a vacation. It looks
fake yet very scary! Any idea what it is and if it can
hurt me? Thanks,
Sandy
Helotes, TX
Hi Sandy,
This is a Red Headed Centipede, Scolopendra heros. These desert
centipedes have venom and will give a painful bite, but the
damage is temporary and not life threatening. We found a nice
website
with information on this gorgeous centipded.
Red
Headed Centipede
(07/12/2007) Pictures for You of Red-Headed Centipede and
Hummingbird Moth
Hi Bugman! I love your site and consult it regularly
since I moved to the Hill Country of Texas. I wanted
to send you a couple of pictures I've taken of the subject
bugs. The centipede was on the outside of my house just after
I moved to Wimberely, Texas. It was about six inches
long. The hummingbird moth was taken at the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center in South Austin this spring. I hope you
enjoy them! Thank you for your wonderful site! Gratefully,
Heather Putnam
Hi Heather,
The photo you sent us of the Red Headed Centipede is especially
nice.
House
Centipede
(06/30/2007) What kind of bug is this?
I have been seeing alot of bugs of this kind in my house.
They come out at night time and crawl on walls around the
same time at night. I want to get rid of them. Can you give
me some info about them and also how to get rid of these critters?
Thank you.
Phil
Hi PHil,
We do not recommend ridding your home of House Centipedes.
They are harmless predators that will eat more destructive
and harmful arthropods in your home.
House
Centipede eats House Centipede: Survival of the Fittest
(Summer Solstice/ 2007) cannibal centipede found this centipede
feast a few nights ago here on mt. washington. i didn't know
they ate each other, but their food supply may be low (from
the lack of rain this year, i'm supposing). this spring i
haven't been seeing many arthropods other than centipedes
and a few types of spiders. yours,
phil
Hi Phil,
Are we neighbors in Mt Washington, Los Angeles??? We have
been wanting to change the image of the House Centipede on
our homepage, but have been waiting for an awesome image.
Thanks so much for providing one. House Centipedes will obviously
eat one another as well as including spiders insects in their
diets.
Tropical
Centipede
(05/16/2007) "Welcome to Hawaii "guest
Aloha!
Two years ago, my family moved to Oahu. Shortly after arriving
in our new home, we were surprised by a LARGE centipede. My
daughters had never seen one before. I was upstairs when my
6 year old screamed that there was a "big bug" crawling
on the floor. I told her it was probably a roach--since they
are in OVER abundance here. She said, "NO! It has a LOT
of LEGS!!" My first thought was a millipede. I came to
investigate and was shocked! I have never seen one so big.
I know they can be bigger, but this was big enough. We all
climbed on the couch and I screamed for my husband to come
catch it. He caught it after some effort. It seems they are
very fast too. After taking some pictures, we kept it overnight
and fed it 2 crickets and a roach. It was a voracious eater!
It caught ALL THREE insects in its legs and just "conveyor
belted" them to its jaws so it could chew off their heads.
The next morning, all that was left was a wing and a leg.
We then released it into a storm drain. Despite its size,
I would rather have a 7 inch centipede outside eating roaches
instead of a gooey memory on the bottom of my shoe. The centipede
is in a fish bowl and that is my hand holding it. It was the
only way we could get size perspective without getting bitten
or it running off.
Dawn
Hi Dawn,
Thank you so much for writing in with your thrilling account
of an encounter with a Tropical Centipede.
House
Centipede
(Mother's Day 05/13/2007) house centipede
I just sat to study in my recliner. I was studying anatomy
and physiology-for vet tech training-and this thing came out
of the book. I took pictures of it on the arm of the recliner
and then in the trash can I used to take it outside in. I
can't and won't kill bugs or spiders, so I take them outside
to be free. Anyway I sent a few pictures to my sister and
she helped me find out what it was. Thank you for your site..very,
very helpful. Hope you'll show my little 2" critter to
rest. I was scared and had to find out what it was, so I'm
glad there are sites like yours!!!!!
Valerie Boyum,
Marshall, MN
Hi Valerie,
It was just about time to post a new House Centipede image
and we liked your letter.
House
Centipede
(04/30/2007) Many legged Beastie
Hello,
We saw this bug in the south of France (in the Gorges du Tarn
region) last October. There were two of them living together
in a crack behind the front door. They weren't at all scared
when the door moved. We'd love to have any information about
it.
Thanks,
Emily
Hi Emily,
We have countless images on House Centipedes on our website.
We receive so many requests for their identification that
we always have an image posted on our homepage to facilitate
our readership. House Centipedes are harmless nocturnal predators.
House
Centipede
(04/27/2007) my bug
Thank goodness, I finally know what those creepy crawly things
are. A house Centipede. Needless to say they scared the heck
out of me. We have lived in our house for 5 yrs , and I have
been running from these bugs for almost three yrs.. Finally
I got this pic of one and found him on your site. Im am truely
relieved to find they are not harmful, just really creepy..Any
way heres my pic, and thanks for the GREAT site.
Pamela
Hi Pamela,
We are thrilled to find out we have helped to squelch one
of your phobias.
Florida
Blue Centipede
(04/14/2007) multi-colored centipede?
Below is a centipede found yesterday in my livingroom in upstate
South Carolina. (Our home is surrounded by woods, if that
helps ID.) It is about 2.5 inches long and speedy. Sorry about
the lighting changes in the photos. He was moving so fast,
I had a hard time just getting a picture in which his/her
legs weren't blurred. After browsing through your awesome
site, I'm guessing it is some sort of multi-colored centipede.
Would you agree? I'm unsure and emailing primarily because
I keep reading elsewhere that they live in the western U.S.
I have two very enthusiastic little nature "collectors"
(photos only) that I don't care to see bitten. Thanks,
Robbin Dawson
I'm too impatient. I just found him on bugguide.net. He's
a Florida Blue Centipede (Hemiscolopendra Marginata). Thanks
anyway. Your site is invaluable to our bug ID efforts.
Robbin Dawson
Hi Robbin,
We are happy you have correctly identified your Florida Blue
Centipede, Hemiscolopendra marginata. We do not stay tethered
to the computer, and only post new letters once a day.
Desert
Centipede
(03/31/2007) Scolopendra h. arizonensis?
Hi Bugman,
My roommate found this beauty digging a garden in the neighbors
yard in Gisela, AZ. It is aprox. 9-10 inches long. None of
us want to get close enough to measure it accurately. We decided
to house it in a 20 gallon aquarium for a little while and
observe it, take pictures, video etc... and then release it
on the opposite side of the Tonto Creek from our house, just
to be safe. We can find a few crickets about to feed it, but
we do have lots of scorpions, a nest of them actual, on the
property, will it eat scorpions? or will the scorpion kill
it. My roommate is a vegetarian/Buddhist so he won't let me
fed it any mammals such as mice or lizards, or amphibians,
which we also have running about. But he is O.K. with feeding
it scorpions and other insects I can find. I tried stink beetles
but the centipede didn't seem to like those. Also, did we
identify it correctly? Luv your website, really cool! Thanks,
Ardra
Hi Ardra,
We are certain this is Scolopendra heros, but we are not sure
how the subspecies are identified. One color variant of this
species is called the Giant Redheaded Centipede, but your
specimen is one of the black headed ones. The primary food
of these Desert Centipedes consists of small arthropods, so
crickets should work nicely. We are not sure who would eat
whom in a centipede/scorpion match.
House
Centipede
(03/26/2007) house centipede??
I assume this is a house centipede as from the front page
of the website.
Sorry about the quality, only had the camera on my phone.
cheers
Michael A Davis
Hi Michael,
Yes, this is a House Centipede.
House
Centipede
(03/09/2007) ??
We found this interesting critter in the bathtub. Looks like
a combination of a centipede and a cricket. Not sure what
it is though. It's about 2" in length.
Mike
Hi Mike,
The harmless House Centipede is one of our commonest query
subjects, and we always keep a photo of one on our homepage.
Yours will remain until we get another great image.
Giant
Desert Centipede from Arizona
(02/10/2007) Can you identify this bug?
We see them in SE Arizona. ~ 7-9" Long. Thank you,
Len
Hi Len,
What a gorgeous Centipede. This is probably a subspecies of
Scolopendra heros, the Giant Red Headed Centipede. BugGuide
also has one photo of this color variation, which might be
considered a separate subspecies or just a color variation.
Thanks for sending us your wonderful image. We wish the head
was in the shot.
House
Centipede
(02/10/2007) What sort of Bug/insect is this
Hello,
Was wondering if you help me with identifying this bug/insect
that we found in our home? I have attached three photos to
help out never have seen any thing like this before it looks
like a cross between a centipede and a silver fish! Your help
is much appreciated. Regards
Ty and Larelle
Hi Ty and Larelle,
This is a House Centipede, one of the most common identification
queries we get. For that reason, there is always a photo of
a House Centipede on our homepage. Yours will replace the
current image. House Centipedes are harmless predators that
will kill and eat many other household intruders.
Tropical
Centipede from Hawaii
(01/31/2007) Indonesian Centipede
Hi Bugman!
My daughter Alexa and I live in Kona, Hawaii where we get
a fair number of these giant centipedes. You've already got
some great pictures on your site of these, (Indonesian centipede,
right?) but none of them truly capture the size of these critters.
We have been waiting months to try to get a good picture of
one of these guys, but they never seem to cooperate. Finally,
this big one came wandering into our garage. Alexa (age 6)
carefully put her plastic sand bucket over him while I ran
and got our camera and a tape measure. To our mutual surprise,
when we took off the bucket the centipede did not move and
allowed me to take his picture several times. If you really
stretched him out, I think he's pushing 7 inches from antenae
to rear legs. I know these centipedes can give you one hell
of a bite, (the pain is supposed to last a couple of days)
but they are really non-aggressive. I've had one stroll accross
my bare foot. Plus, don't these things eat cockroaches? Anyway,
keep up the great work!
Jeff Lanterman
 
Hi Jeff,
We really want to thank you and your bug wrangler Alexa for
supplying us with these wonderful photos. Yes, Tropical Centipedes
do eat cockroaches.
House
Centipede
(01/27/2007) Picture of House Centipede
Captured this great shot of a house centipede in our home
in Portland, Oregon. I identified it using your website, and
I thought you might want to see this great picture. Thanks,
Monica
Hi Monica,
Thanks for sending us your photo. We will post it on the homepage
until we get another wonderful photo of a House Centipede
since we always keep an example of this wonderful predator
there.
Centipede:
Scolopendra alternans
(01/23/2007) Here's a beauty..
Took hours of taxonomical research, but I'm so impressed by
this guy it was worth it..just wanted to share this beautiful
creature..
Dana
Hi Dana,
We wish you would have shared the results of your research
with us, or at least provided us a location.
Oops. I sent you a pic just now and forgot to tell you that
it is a Scolopendra alternans, 9 inches long. Crawled out
of my bag in Key Largo. Sure! Just didn't want to send all
that if you didn't use it. This is a Scolopendra alternans.
It's a beautiful specimen, being a full 9 inches long. He
crawled out of my carryall bag after I'd played a band gig
at an older wooden building in the Florida Keys. Some species
of Scolopendra are hard to I.D. due to the many color variations
(brown or gray based) but I finally narrowed this one to S.
Alternans from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science
website. (Leach, 1815): "The distribution of S. Alternans
in the contiguous U.S. is limited specifically to Monroe,
Collier, and Dade counties in the state of Florida." I live
in Monroe county, and after much research found 2 other I.D.
requests for this animal online--both from Key Largo. After
taking a few photos, I set him free in the woods across the
street. Hope you enjoy his unique beauty as much as I did!
D. Armenta
Tropical
Centipede from Borneo
(01/10/2007) Indonesian Borneo Centipede
Dear Whats that bug,
Thought you might like this one :-) The jaws were quite formidable
on this centipede and it later managed to bite the Indonesian
field staff member that is currently holding it. Despite sucking
out most of the poison his thumb still swelled up quite a
bit.
All the best,
Norman
Hi Norman,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful image as well as a well
deserved warning about the bite of Tropical Centipedes.
Giant
Red-Headed Centipede
(12/31/2006) giant centipede
Thankyou for your wonderful website! We were able to indentify
this beautiful giant centipede we found outside our front
door yesterday. It was approx 5 1/2 " long! We managed
to put it in a cup and move it safely, away from our house.
Giant redheaded centipede, Order: Scolopendromorpha, Family:
Scolopendridae, Genus and species: Scolopendra heros Girard.
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for the image and information. We wish you had provided
us with a location, but we are guessing it is probably Oklahoma
or Texas.
Centipede
from Baja California
(12/26/2006) Scolopendridae
No questions. Just a great picture of a centipede found on
the southern tip of Baja, Mexico. 1 mile from the Sea of Cortez,
7" Came up the sink drain with drains out into an arroyo.
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for the multiple attempts you made sending this
image our way until we received a file that did not crash
our program. The image is awesome and the hand drawn ruler
is a nice touch.
Slaughtered
House Centipede
(11/09/2006) eek, a bug!
Hello bugman,
My name is Jessica. Attached, you will find an image of a
bug that i've unfortunately encountered many a time since
moving into my apartment. The maintenance folks here at the
complex have told me it's a centipede, but i don't buy that.
I've googled every possile description of the thing that i
could concoct, to no avail. However, with much luck I did
stumble upon your site. In the photo, the little guy is missing
some legs. I tried for a live shot, but these things are quick!
I live in Irvine, California and have been told that my monstrous
friends come from underground. Also, rumor has it they have
a "nasty bite." So, dear bugman, I am desperately
curious. Can you tell me who this mystery bug is? Sincerely,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
If you had just believed the maintenance folk and typed "Centipede"
into your search engine, you might have gotten your answer.
When we tried that tactic, the
first site that came up was devoted to the House Centipede,
your creature. Perhaps your perspective on the House Centipede
was different than ours, hence your lack of googling success.
Perhaps your description was something akin to "flying purple
people eater" or maybe "sea monster from the depths" and that
led you astray. We tried "insect many legs fast" (even though
the House Centipede is not an insect) and were led to several
sites with the correct answer, including our own Centipede
page. All we can advise in the future is for you to choose
your descriptive words carefully and accurately. Mastering
search engines is a wonderful talent, and we can't imagine
how today's students could complete research papers without
the talent now that classics like Encyclopedia Britannica
are no longer readily available in homes. House Centipedes
are harmless predators, and the poor arthropod did not warrant
your wrath. There was no need for such Unnecessary
Carnage.
House
Centipede
(11/07/2006) Can you identify this bug?
Hi Bugman!
I was wonder if you can tell me what kind of bug this is.
I found it (them) in the basement behind insulation. It is
about 2 inches long and I live in Ohio. Also, what do you
recommend to get rid of them (I have kids and animals to keep
in mind)? Thank you,
Greg Miller
Hi Greg,
This is a House Centipede, easily the most popular query subject
submitted to our site, except perhaps general spider questions.
For that reason, there is always a photo of a House Centipede
on our homepage so querants can easily locate the object of
their curious desire. We do not give extermination advice
in general, and more specificly, we would never recommend
killing a beneficial predator like a harmless House Centipede.
House
Centipede
(10/26/2006) Vying for the Newest Best House Centipede Photo
Award
I have always wondered what this was, and I have found your
website to be quite helpful. I think this photo may be the
best yet!
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
There isn't really a prize, just the recognition. Additionally,
we keep House Centipede images on our homepage at all times,
so yours might remain for months. It really is a prize shot.
Giant
Desert Centipede
(10/03/2006) I can identify that centipede.
There is a picture of a centipede on your site that someone
from Tuscon, AZ sent in. It is the Giant Desert Centipede.
I live in Ft. Huachuca, AZ (about 1 hour south-east of Tuscon)
and found one on my front porch recently (see photo). There
is a short description and a nice picture on the Saguaro
National Park website. By the way, this centipede moves
like lightning! We had a hard time catching it. I love your
site. Thanks for the hard work! Best regards,
K Powers
Ft. Huachuca, AZ
Hi K,
Thanks for the info, link and image of the variably colored
Giant Desert Centipede, Scolopendra heros.
House
Centipede
(09/15/2006) House Centipede (2 close up photos)
I didn't stumble upon your site until I figured out what this
thing was. Regardless, I thought the close ups would be a
nice addition to your collection. I find them on my floor
or in my bathroom. I'm on the bottom floor of a townhouse
so it makes sense. Enjoy.
Sean
Hi Sean,
We do like to change the House Centipede image we run on our
homepage regularly, and your photos are very nice. We like
to keep an image of this harmless and highly beneficial species
on our homepage to warn people not to kill them unnecessarily.
Giant
Redheaded Centipede
(08/24/2006) Giant Redheaded Centipede
A few weekends ago my husband and I were sitting on our couch
in our apartment in Austin, TX when this brightly-colored
lad (or lass) nonchalantly sauntered past my foot and went
under the coffee table. I didn't scream, but I must have had
a look of terror in my eyes as I got up and backed away because
my husband high-tailed it off the couch, too, and he hadn't
even seen it! We herded the beast out the front door, then
my husband sort-of picked it up with a paper towel and deposited
it as far away from our apartment as he could before it started
wriggling out of his grasp. Unfortunately, in the process
we accidentally divested it of one of its enlarged back legs
(that look like stingers) - we found it under the coffee table
later - but I'm guessing he/she/it will be fine nevertheless.
We didn't get a chance to measure it, but I would say it was
approximately 7 inches long. We identified it from another
website
as a giant redheaded centipede, Class: Chilopoda, Order: Scolopendromorpha,
Family: Scolopendridae, Genus and species: Scolopendra heros
(Girard). Feel free to use this picture and/or e-mail if you
would like to. Thanks for having such an interesting and informative
website!
Sincerely,
Erica Sweeney
Hi Erica,
Your photo is awesome and we are glad to post it. About all
we can add is the Giant Redheaded Centipede will probably
regenerate its lost appendage, at least partially.
Centipede
(07/13/2006) BigPede with Pinchers??
Hello BugMan....
What is this?? He/she/it fell on a woman during a training
class. We were a little surprised someone had finally screamed
out loud but we soon found out it was not because of the material
being presented. I was able to identify the Velvet Ant and
Cicada Killer because of your site and am grateful for all
the wonderful pictures! I am currently about and hour and
a half outside of Oklahoma City and have been quite fascinated
with the "larger than life" insects around here.
I am from Oregon and we don't see insect of this magnitude
very often! Thank you in advance!
~S
Ps This bug was not killed, it was however, chilled to be
transported for a collection... I do not what the future holds
for this Pede.
Hi S,
We have heard that these centipedes in the genus Scolopendra
from Oklahoma can grow to 8 inches long. They have venom and
will bite.
Centipede
(07/11/2006) Centipede?
I am from Oklahoma and I have attached a picture of a bug
that I found in my bathroom this morning. Not a nice thing
to wake up to. I'm assuming it is a centipede. Are they poisonous?
It's body is black and legs an orange/yellow and its head
is a dark orange. Its back pinchers are black with orange
tips. It is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I'm guessing
it is about 4 inches long (I'm not going to get too close.)
Please let me know about this thing.
Thanks,
Katrina Wilson
Hi Katrina,
Centipedes are poisonous, and they will bite. The bite is
painful, but not dangerous. Some tropical species have more
potent venom. We have read that the Oklahoma Centipedes grow
to 8 inches. Your Centipede is in the Order Scolopendromorpha,
but we do not know the species.
House
Centipede
(06/04/2006) bug to identify
Bugman,
Our cats and I killed two of these bugs last year in August.
I found this smaller version in our central Iowa home today.
Can you tell me what kind of bug this is? Thanks for your
time and expertise,
Curious Homeowner
Hi Curious,
Many people are curious about House Centipedes, and they are
probably our most frequent query subject. Your photo is quite
beautiful.
House
Centipede
(05/11/2006) what in the world is this bug?
Hi Bugman,
I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in a basement appartment
of a small but clean house. We see many of these creepy creatures
scurrying around the place all the time. I finally got a photo
oppurtunity and snapped on while it was crawling on the wall.
This one is by far the biggest one I've seen. It messures
about 5cm, and it was having a very hard time climbing the
wall... maybe because he/she was overweight. Thanks
Dave
Hi Dave,
This is a harmless House Centipede.
House
Centipede
(05/09/2006) Need a Bug Identification
Hello,
My husband & I recently came across a bug in our house
and were really horrified to see it. We've never seen anything
like it before! We've sprayed insecticides but it's not helping,
as we still see these critters running around the house every
once in a while. Can you help us ID this bug (see attached
pictures)?? We'd love to know what it is and if it's harmful
to the house or humans, and most importantly how to get rid
of it! Many Thanks,
Pareen Mehta, New Jersey
Hi Pareen,
House Centipedes are one of our most common query subjects.
They are totally harmless to you and your home. They are predators
who will eat other potentially destructive or harmful creatures
like spiders and roaches.
House
Centipede
(04/04/2006) What the heck is this?
I live in Denver, Colorado. I've seen a couple of these in
the basement. Fast and about 1 inch long.
Casey
Hi Casey,
One of our commonest query subjects is the House Centipede.
House
Centipede
(03/23/2006) House Centipede
Found this today in our hallway...thought you might enjoy
this!
Brian Dyjak
Base Multimedia Center
McGuire AFB, NJ
Thanks Brian,
We always like new images of House Centipedes to post on our
homepage.
House
Centipede
(03/18/2006) Another house centipede
This picture is a really up close and personal picture of
a house centipede which at this very moment seems to be stalking
a fly that is on the wall not far from it. I got this picture
a few minutes ago, and figured you might like another to add
to your collection. I send it to you in unaltered full 2592x1944x24bit
color. The picture makes him look significantly larger than
he is, he is in fact about an inch long, not counting legs
or antennae. Matthew
St Louis, MO
Hi Matthew,
Since we always keep a House Centipede image on our homepage,
your excellent photo will replace the one that has been there
for several weeks. The little guy appearing larger than reality
is no problem since our frightened readers are constantly
exaggerating the size of these helpful creatures.
House
Centipede
(03/10/2006) Bug with lots of legs
We found this on the wall of our apartment. It moved quite
fast. I've never seen anything with this many legs, apart
from centipedes and millipedes, and am really curious to know
what this is!
Best regards,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
This is a House Centipede and it is harmless. It is the subject
of numerous letters to our site and we are happy to have a
new image for our homepage.
House
Centipede or College Centipede?
(02/10/2006)
ummm.what exactly is this thing? it was hanging out in our
bathroom at my dorm suite.
So nice that even though you are living away from home,
the House Centipede is living with you.
Unknown
Centipede
(01/02/2006) centipede?
Hello Bugman -
I found this cute little guy in some leaf litter in oak/madrone
forest in Oakland, CA. Any idea what she/he is? thanks,
Your Fan,
Allison
Hi Allison,
We have found similar Centipedes in our Mt. Washington garden.
They are not very long, about two inches, and very thin. They
are also very agile and delicate looking. Sadly, we have never
properly identified them. Now that you have sent in a photo,
we will try to do additional research.
Case
Bearing Moth Larva from Malaysia and Cave Dwelling Centipede
from Borneo
(12/27/2005) what's this bug?
Hi bugman,
I was casually eating my cocopops and bran-flake breakfast
in my apartment this morning, when I noticed this strange
insect hanging from the underside of my table. The coin is
a 20 Sen MYR coin, about 1 inch in diameter. The small white
'cocoon' was oval shape with a hole in each end, and the worm-like
creature would coninuously poke its head out and crawl along
a tiny distance each time. I assume it's the larvae of some
insect, but have no idea what. If you can identify it, I'd
be highly grateful.
Best regards,
Chris
Sarawak, Malaysia
Ps, I thought you may appreciate a photo of what looks very
similar to a house centipede, but was actually observed in
a remote cave in the interior of Borneo, which if I'm not
mistaken would make it a "Thereupoda decipiens"
aka a Long-legged Centipede. All photos are my own, so do
with them as you please.
 
Hi Chris,
Your mystery cocoon is a Case Bearing Moth Larva. These are
benign creatures that feed on pet hair. We love the Long Legged
Centipede photo.
Indonesian
Centipede
(12/26/2005) centipedes
hello there ! great website u have there..attached a pic for
you. no problem ,this is an indonesian centipede.
regards
Dominic
Hi Dominic,
Great photo. |
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