Giant desert centipede
Venomous · Scolopendra heros
Painful, rarely seriousUsually like a bee or wasp sting
Bites are painful with local swelling. Serious effects are rare.
- Lives in
- 7 states
- Size
- 6–8 in
- Open US records
- 309
- Group
- Large centipede
How to identify it
- Largest centipede in North America
- Red or orange head, dark blue-black body, yellow legs in many forms
- 21 pairs of legs
Size: 6–8 in (length). Habitat: Rocky desert, grassland and woods of the southern plains and Southwest.
Also called giant redheaded centipede, Texas redheaded centipede.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Lives here | 165 | 43 |
| Arizona | Lives here | 73 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | Lives here | 32 | 6 |
| New Mexico | Lives here | 10 | 2 |
| Arkansas | Lives here | 9 | 2 |
| Missouri | Lives here | 6 | 2 |
| Kansas | Lives here | 5 | 2 |
| Louisiana | Rare records | 5 | 1 |
| Colorado | Rare records | 4 | 1 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the giant desert centipede live?
In 7 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Rare records also come from Colorado and Louisiana.
Is the giant desert centipede dangerous?
Painful, rarely serious. Bites are painful with local swelling. Serious effects are rare.
How do you identify a giant desert centipede?
Largest centipede in North America. Red or orange head, dark blue-black body, yellow legs in many forms. 21 pairs of legs.
When is the giant desert centipede most active?
Most open US records fall in April to May, August to September.