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House centipede
Scutigera coleoptrata
44.4906, 8.96764
Field Notes
Description:
S. coleoptrata is 25 mm (1 in) to 100 mm (4 in) in length and has up to 15 pairs of long legs. These delicate legs are attached to a rigid body. This enables it to reach surprising speeds of up to 0.4 meters per second (1.3 ft/s) running across floors, up walls and along ceilings. Its body is yellowish-grey and has three dark dorsal stripes running down its length; the legs also have dark stripes. Unlike most other centipedes, house centipedes and their close relatives have well-developed faceted eyes. S. coleoptrata has developed automimicry in that its hind legs present the appearance of antennae. When the centipede is at rest, it is not easy to tell its front from its back.
Habitat:
Outdoors, house centipedes prefer to live in cool, damp places. Centipede respiratory systems do not provide any mechanism for shutting the spiracles, and that is why they need an environment that protects them from dehydration and excessive cold. Most live outside, primarily under large rocks, piles of wood, and especially in compost piles. Within the home, these centipedes are found in almost any part of the house. Most commonly they are encountered in basements, bathrooms, and lavatories, which tend to be humid, but they can also be found in drier places like offices, bedrooms and dining rooms. The greatest likelihood of encountering them is in spring, when they come out because the weather gets warmer, and in autumn/fall, when the cooling weather forces them to find shelter in human habitats.
Notes:
Unlike its shorter-legged but much larger tropical cousins, S. coleoptrata can live its entire life inside a building, usually the ground levels of homes. They are generally considered harmless to humans.[9] Bites (stings) are extremely uncommon, and the forcipules of most house centipedes are not strong enough to penetrate human skin. Stings are generally no worse than a bee's sting, with its venom causing redness and mild to severe swelling.
It should be noted that they are a non-toxic, safe method of pest control, as house centipedes prey on other arthropods.
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