House centipede
Can bite, but rarely does. Considered harmless.
- Lives in
- 25 states
- Size
- 1–1.5 in
- Open US records
- 1,467
- Group
- Large centipede
How to identify it
- 15 pairs of very long striped legs
- Gray-yellow body with three dark stripes
- Very fast; hunts insects inside houses at night
Size: 1–1.5 in (body length). Habitat: Basements, bathrooms and damp rooms nearly everywhere.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Lives here | 187 | 19 |
| Pennsylvania | Lives here | 163 | 27 |
| Virginia | Lives here | 116 | 29 |
| New York | Lives here | 115 | 22 |
| Ohio | Lives here | 100 | 24 |
| Massachusetts | Lives here | 87 | 9 |
| North Carolina | Lives here | 76 | 17 |
| Maryland | Lives here | 72 | 11 |
| Illinois | Lives here | 58 | 10 |
| New Jersey | Lives here | 46 | 16 |
| Wisconsin | Lives here | 42 | 8 |
| Michigan | Lives here | 35 | 10 |
| Minnesota | Lives here | 34 | 7 |
| Tennessee | Lives here | 32 | 9 |
| Georgia | Lives here | 31 | 14 |
| Texas | Lives here | 29 | 12 |
| Indiana | Lives here | 23 | 7 |
| Oregon | Lives here | 22 | 6 |
| Kentucky | Lives here | 17 | 7 |
| Connecticut | Lives here | 16 | 5 |
| Iowa | Lives here | 15 | 6 |
| Missouri | Lives here | 15 | 6 |
| West Virginia | Lives here | 14 | 7 |
| New Mexico | Lives here | 11 | 5 |
| Arkansas | Lives here | 10 | 4 |
| Nebraska | Rare records | 12 | 2 |
| Vermont | Rare records | 9 | 3 |
| Colorado | Rare records | 8 | 5 |
| Maine | Rare records | 8 | 2 |
| Utah | Rare records | 8 | 3 |
| Alabama | Rare records | 7 | 4 |
| Arizona | Rare records | 7 | 3 |
| South Carolina | Rare records | 7 | 4 |
| Delaware | Rare records | 6 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | Rare records | 6 | 1 |
| Kansas | Rare records | 5 | 2 |
| New Hampshire | Rare records | 5 | 2 |
| Washington | Rare records | 3 | 2 |
| Louisiana | Rare records | 2 | 1 |
| Rhode Island | Rare records | 2 | 2 |
| South Dakota | Rare records | 2 | 2 |
| Idaho | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Mississippi | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Nevada | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
| North Dakota | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the house centipede live?
In 25 states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Rare records also come from Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho and Kansas and other states.
Is the house centipede dangerous?
Harmless. Can bite, but rarely does. Considered harmless.
How do you identify a house centipede?
15 pairs of very long striped legs. Gray-yellow body with three dark stripes. Very fast; hunts insects inside houses at night.
When is the house centipede most active?
Most open US records fall in April to August.