100-legged worms

100-legged worms

Centipedes are long, many legged creatures that run swiftly when disturbed.  By nature they are predators that feed on insects, spiders, and other small arthropods.  Their body is made up of many segments with each segment containing one pair of legs.  Centipedes have fangs and can possibly bite if handled, but this rarely happens and the bite is not dangerous.  Centipedes can live over one year, but breed slowly and are usually found in small numbers in the home. 

The most common species of centipede is Scutigera coleoptrata, is originally from Mexico and is the only species that breeds indoors.  Outdoors there are a number of species, but they rarely come indoors.  House centipedes are up to 11/2 inches long with up to 15 pairs of very long legs.  The overall color is grayish-yellow marked with three dark lines.  Centipedes prefer damp, dark environments and are found outdoors in rotting logs, mulch, potting soil, and leaf litter.  They hunt for prey at night and can become trapped if they fall into a sink or bathtub. 

Like scorpions, ticks, spiders, and sowbugs ( or pillbugs), centipedes and millipedes are not insects, but arthropods. Centipedes and millipedes are often found in moist habitats under leaves, rotten logs, stones, and boards. Neither creature carries any disease to humans, other animals, or plants. Although centipedes and millipedes are beneficial because they destroy insects and serve as recyclers by reducing decaying organic matter, many people have an aversion to them inside their homes.

Centipedes are worm-like arthropods with a flattened body and a distinct head that bears a pair of long antennae (Figure 1). Jaws containing venom glands are located on the first body segment behind the head. Centipedes, or “100-legged worms,” have only one pair of legs on each body segment. Depending on the species, centipedes can vary in length from one to 12 or more inches, with the total number of legs varying from 10 to 100 or more.  Centipedes can range in color from yellowish-brown, dark brown, to iridescent reddish-green.

Centipedes are usually found in damp, dark areas under stones, leaf mulch, or logs. Inside homes, centipedes can be found in basements, closets, crawl spaces, or any area where other insects are found. Centipedes are active and rapid predators, feeding on just about any small arthropod; however, they do tend to prefer small insects. Centipedes hide in dark cracks and crevices during the day and search for their prey at night. After using their jaws to capture their prey, they inject a venom into the animal to kill it.

Some species of centipedes are considered venomous to humans, but their bite is not sufficiently toxic to be lethal to children or adults. A bite from any of the smaller species found in Oklahoma usually produces a moderate reaction that, at worst, is similar to a bee sting. The bite of the larger species may produce local inflammation, redness, and swelling – and occasionally systemic symptoms that disappear in four to five hours. Contrary to myth, a centipede walking on your skin will not kill the tissue or cause the skin to rot. They do, however, have relatively sharp claws on their legs that can scratch.