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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

House Centipede, we presume

weird bug in my office
Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 9:49 AM
We just found a bug crawling across the floor that is unlike anything I have ever seen. It was about 1″ long; had at least 8 legs; 2 black antennae on its HIND end; medium yellow, kind of translucent color with tiny black speckles. It’s body was covered in filaments, like a caterpillar only not as dense and only covering it’s back. It crawled on all legs off the ground, didn’t scoot like a caterpillar, and was more spindly and moved fast, like a spider, only longer. It kind of looks like a shrimp when it walks. I would take a picture and send it, but my student worker squished it, and then it disappeared. So I drew it instead. Don’t laugh! This is not a hoax. I really want to know what in the world this bug was!!! Can you help me?
Creeped Out
Northeastern Kansas

House Centipede rendering

House Centipede rendering

Dear Creeped Out,
We believe you encountered a House Centipede.  House Centipedes are harmless predators that will kill and eat much less desirable office inhabitants like cockroaches.  Your letter is quite descriptive, and your drawing gave us a chuckle, so we decided it needed to be shared with our readership.

House Centipede

Hi. This bug I think house cependia?
Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 6:56 PM

Hi. I just moved to apartment building about a few months. I see these bugs that are flat, have big attenas, look like 18 legs, run fast when I try to spray them, they don’t go away, a big one I think it was the leader went under my cabinet and another one went on my bedroom wall and there are many in my bathroom tub and all over my whole apartment! I spray a lot of perfume and body splash. Is that why they come? even if I don’t spray perfume and body splash they come more! they freak me out! I am sooooo afraid. I get hives and break out bad because of this! I am very nervous and worried all time. What is causing them to come? What do they live off? What do they eat? Are they dangerous? Do they bite? I am sorry but one time I tried to get one and I stump it. I tried to clean up but the body spread out and was very hard to pick up and some parts still there and my fingers sting and I think I got bite. Where do they live? Do they only go to apartments? What other bugs go to apartments because I am new. I just saw these bugs and spiders and spider webs and other bugs I forgot names. And are red ticks bad? What to do? And when I went to my sister’s apartment, when she lived there, I saw she had beetles, cockroaches, and other bugs I don’t know what they are called. She still slept in her bed that had some of this bugs! She didn’t care. There were a lot of bugs there and my apartment. There is a lot of dust, and drafts and very thin walls in my apartment. I am by some old trees and a big old tree comes right by my apartment. I think I am in an old town. They say there are rats in my neighborhood. I saw a rat and mouse too. And a rat and mouse at the Laundromat. So, I heard it was not good to live there and I should move. But I just moved, and want to give it a chance. Am I crazy for this? Plea se help. This is no joke. Thank you.
Soooooo afraid one in Evanston
Evanston, IL

House Centipede

House Centipede

Dear Soooooo afraid,
Since we don’t have psychiatry degrees, we really don’t want to try to diagnose your level of craziness and would prefer to leave that to a specialist. In all actuality, we have art degrees, so theoretically, our insect advice could also be called into question. In recent months, job qualifications have been greatly relaxed, and we do know that Africa is a continent and that Canada, the United States and Mexico are in North America, so we may be qualified to do just about anything.
We are going to confine ourselves to answering your House Centipede questions. Yes, this is a House Centipede. Though they may seem organized, they do not have leaders. They are not attracted to body spray or cologne. They are there because there is a food source. They are predatory and will eat insects and other Arthropods. In the city, they thrive on Cockroaches, so in that sense, they are beneficial. They are not dangerous, but we have gotten a few reports of people being bitten. They are generally found in damp dark places, and they will live indoors and outdoors. Visit our Household Pests section for more creatures frequently found indoors that are not beneficial.

Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Hi. I heard they live off a food supply. But where is the food supply? How to get rid of these bugs? They freak the daylights out of me!!!!!!!! This is no joke. Thanks!

Hello again Sooooooo afraid,
Yes, you have heard correctly. House Centipedes do live off of a food supply. There are probably countless insects and spiders in your new apartment that you are unaware of. Cockroaches like dark places like behind the stove, under the sink, and anywhere that crumbs of food may fall. We do not give extermination advice.

House Centipede

Scutigera coleoptrata!
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Hello Bugman.
Somehow I made it 41 arthropod-loving years without EVER seeing one of these beautiful and amazing creatures. This one scurried under my chair in a local bookstore, Petoskey, Michigan. I quite literally clapped my hands with joy and shouted “OH! Gorgeous!” when I caught it. It has big black eyes that looked at me with curiosity like a praying mantis - and purple knees! I swear to god I thought I had discovered an alien life-form. No one in the store had seen one before, either. If you look at a map, isn’t Petoskey awfully far north for this critter? I was able to identify it from your site, so thanks very much! - but I though you’d like another couple photos to add to your collection. Your website is at the top of my Favorites list. By the way, I let this lovely young house centipede loose in my own basement. May it go forth and multiply.
Lynn E
Petoskey, northern Michigan

House Centipede

House Centipede

Hi Lynn,
Wow, Monday seems so long ago, but we have been overcome with obligations since returning back to the offices of What’s That Bug? and we have also been consumed with the elections.  Thanks for your wonderful letter.  We get submissions of House Centipedes from around the world, including parts of Canada, so your sighting is not that unusual, but we are thrilled to find out how much pleasure your sighting brought you and also that your House Centipede and its progeny have found a tolerant new home.

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

House Centipede

House Centipede?
Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 9:33 AM
Is this a house centipede? I have a LOT of these in my house. In the basement, in the bath tub, in the closets, this one was on the stairs. They have very definite little personalities. One I found in the basement, ran away from me, realized he was in the middle of the room with nowhere to go, looked around, turned back towards me and ran to hide in a pile of laundry at my feet. I found another one on my leg while I was sitting watching tv. The one of the picture was on the stairs. They definitely seem to like people! Do they bite?
Inundated
Chicago, IL

House Centipede

House Centipede

Dear Inundated,
Your House Centipede identification is absolutely correct.  We have heard of a very few instances where a person has claimed to have been bitten by a House Centipede, but those reports are rare.  There is no danger if this questionable bite occurs.  House Centipedes would not be so plentiful in your home unless they have a ready food supply.  Roaches and spiders would be considered a food supply.  House Centipedes, though frightening, are actually quite beneficial.

House Centipede

wierd, 30 legged bug
Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 7:55 AM
looks something like a centipede, but only has 30, long, almost spider like legs. The feet aren’t sticky as it cant crawl out of my kitchen sink. It’s body is long, and thin. About an inch long. It has a black strip down its back.
???
Connecticut US

House Centipede

House Centipede

Dear Puzzled,
30 is the correct number of legs for a common House Centipede.  These frightening but harmless creatures will eat other household intruders like roaches and spiders.

Centipede in her panties

This huge centipede was IN MY UNDERWEAR for over an hour…please help!
I was running errands with my sister. Stopped in for a bottle of water and noticed something kinda "pokey" down in my underwear. Got back in car. Dropped trou. Nothing. Drove home. Felt poking again. Dropped my pants and Hello…this was there. Did it bite me? Exactly *how* alarmed should I be? I am in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He appears to match more than one photo on your website. This experience has made me question the existence of God. I am looking into inpatient therapy. Seriously. I can’t stop scratching my whole body. Did it *have* to be in my panties? My cousin says it’s "punishment for former misdeeds", but I’m not all that bad. My sister can’t stop laughing.
Katie Hastie
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Hi Katie,
Your letter is so amusing. We don’t want to appear insensitive to your trauma, but your letter did make us chuckle as well. Since you have provided a nice sense of scale for your specimen, we can tell you that your Centipede is not huge, as there are reports of 8 inch long Centipedes, especially from Texas and Oklahoma. We believe this is Scolopendra heros, and though all specimens don’t have red heads, it is commonly called the Red Headed Centipede. If your youngster had bitten you, you would know it since Centipedes have venom and the bite is reported to be quite painful. It probably just wanted to find a nice warm spot to curl up and rest a bit.

Oooh! Thanks Daniel,
I’d kinda been thinking it was scolopendra polymorpha, but hey - you would know! I appreciate your response. I’ve been researching it for hours now…the good news is: statistically I can’t imagine that something like this could possibly happen to me twice in a lifetime! I think truly I was okay until I picked yesterday’s cargo pants up off the bathroom floor and put them on. He must have been in there. It’s actually a miracle that he didn’t show himself while I was behind the wheel - that would have made for a nasty pileup and a ridiculous story for the cops. Great work and many thanks,
Katie

Comment: (08/30/2008) Centipede bite feels like . . . Maui-style
Aloha Daniel -
Please tell Katie in Santa Fe that the bite of a centipede is nothing like you’ve ever felt before. Yes, she was very lucky it did not bite her as she drove. This memory is from over 12 years ago. I was bitten by an 8″ chocolate/red ‘pede in Hawai`i in my bed about 1/2 hour after going to sleep. You feel like a hot poker has jabbed you. Worse than a bee or wasp sting. Yes, there is a toxin injected into the body. There are usually two parallel bites - about 3/8″ long & about 1/8 wide. Treat yourself for shock - Vitamin C, “Rescue Remedy” by Bach, and then for flu - echinacea & golden seal tabs. Poultice of baking soda on the bite - water w/ a drop of Rescue Remedy. Years later, my semi-feral cat rolled onto one and got bit between the shoulder blades. About 3-4 days later the cat wanted me to open the wounds and drain them. Was very patient and tolerant of me squeezing the toxin and infection out of him. Suggest to Katie to keep her bathroom drains covered up. They come up them into our homes that way. Keep a pair of cooking/bar-b-que tongs handy to grab them. The folk tale in the islands is that someone is jealous and is sending those emotions and thoughts to her. Just an FYI - Enjoy your weekend! Thanks for all you do!
Eliza

Millipede Assassin Bugs from South Africa

Ectrichodia crux
Hi Bugman
I have noticed these assasin bugs feasting on a milipede on my farm in Pretoria ,South Africa . We live on a rocky outcrop of the Magalies mountain range at 1400m (4500ft)above mean sea level. The fotos were taken on the 5th January 2008 (mid summer) around 10AM with a Canon EOS 400D camera. I thought you may be interested in these fotos.
Kind Regards
Arend van de Wetering

Hi Arend,
Thanks for providing us with additional photo documentation of the Millipede Assassin Bugs, Ectrichodia crux, communally feeding on a large Millipede.

House Centipede from Fuerteventura, Africa

House centipede, close picture
Hi, think I have just found a House Centipede on the pool cover outside our holiday villa in Fuerteventura, an Island off the West coast of Africa. Saved him from drowning with a piece of paper and a cup after I took that pic!
Rob

Hi Rob,
Though we have no dearth of House Centipede submissions from around the world, we are thrilled to post your photo from Fuerteventura, Africa, a first for our site.

CPR on a House Centipede

A house centipede, saved from drowning!
Dear Bugman,
I bring you good news and interesting story. Most evenings, my 2 daughters share a bath prior to bedtime. This evening my wife yelled at me to come to the bathroom during the bath as there was a ‘bug’ in the bath. I immediately thought house centipede. This was confirmed when at the bottom of the tub the centipede lay. My wife was upset and my daughter scared as I took it from the tub and brought it in the kitchen. It was limp and not moving, bad sign. I put it on a paper-towel and blew dried it. It ‘twitched’. I let it be for a bit longer, at times fanning it a bit, hoping that perhaps a bit more life would return. It was belly up and I decided to stroke it. It attached to me, most certainly a reaction to my touch. I wasn’t optimistic yet and decided to take a few pictures. As I finished taking the shots, I stroked the top of it. It starts to walk, slowly away! I capture it again for a few seconds, wishing to give it a good place to hide. I put it close to my kitchen door and gave it a nudge. He ran to the corner! I took a few more pictures of it in his hiding place. Let me know if you want to see the photos. Due to things that I have read on your website, I took extra ordinary measures to help this little guy out.
Daniel

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for sending us your exciting rescue account and also for supplying the requested photo.

Giant Red Headed Centipede from Texas

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

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

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

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

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.

Millipedes

Bugs?
Hi,
I went hiking in feather falls near oraville in northern California on Sunday October 30th, 2007. I came upon a log cut off with tons of pinkesh red insects in a cluster on them. It was damp and starting to get dark outside at the time I found them. Got any idea of what they might be? Thanks,
Shawn J. Ledet

Hi Shawn,
This is a cluster of Millipedes. When we searched BugGuide for a species, we found images of Brachycybe lecontii with the description: “One frequently finds clusters with several sizes and age-classes under bark on decaying logs & stumps” that is credited to Dr. Rowland Shelley. The submissions to BugGuide came from Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee, not the Pacific Northwest, so we did more research. There is reference on BugGuide that the species is covered in books on the Pacific Northwest.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page. Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? 10/30/07 . Cluster from Calif. They are probably Brachycybe rosea Murray (order Platydesmida: family Andrognathidae).
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Red Headed Centipede

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.

Flatbacked Millipede

millipedes
Trying to id this millipede from pa in the poconos.

This is a Flatbacked Millipede in the order Polydesmida. That is the best we can provide at the moment.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page. Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? (07/03/2007) PA. Poconos. Sigmoria (Rudiloria) trimaculata trimaculata (Wood) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

House Centipede

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

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

"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.