There are more than 3,000 centipede species worldwide, grouped into five orders. The ones people meet most are house centipedes (fast, with 15 pairs of very long legs), stone centipedes (short, brown, 15 pairs of legs), soil centipedes (thin and worm-like, with dozens of leg pairs), and large tropical and desert Scolopendra centipedes, which can top 6 inches and give a painful bite. Every centipede has one pair of legs per body segment, which is the quickest way to tell a centipede from a millipede.
Table of Contents
Common Types of Centipedes at a Glance
| Type | Size | Legs | Look | Where | Bite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) | 1 to 1 1/2 in body; 3 to 4 in with legs | 15 pairs, very long | Yellowish-gray, 3 dark stripes, banded legs | Basements, bathrooms, drains worldwide | Rare and mild |
| Stone centipedes (Lithobiomorpha) | About 1/2 to 1 1/4 in | 15 pairs, short | Flat, chestnut brown | Under stones, logs, leaf litter | Mild |
| Soil centipedes (Geophilomorpha) | 1 to 4 in, very thin | 27 to 191 pairs | Pale yellow to orange, worm-like, no eyes | In soil and compost | Harmless |
| Giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros) | 6 to 8 in | 21 or 23 pairs | Red or black head, yellow legs, dark tail | US Southwest, northern Mexico | Very painful |
| Tiger centipede (Scolopendra polymorpha) | 4 to 7 in | 21 pairs | Tan with dark bands across each segment | Southwest US deserts | Painful |
| Amazonian giant centipede (Scolopendra gigantea) | Up to about 12 in | 21 or 23 pairs | Reddish-brown with yellow legs | Northern South America, Caribbean | Very painful |
| Vietnamese / red-headed centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes) | Up to about 8 in | 21 pairs | Dark green-brown body, red head, yellow legs | Tropical Asia, Hawaii | Very painful |
| Scolopendra morsitans | Up to about 5 in | 21 pairs | Banded yellow and dark | Tropics worldwide | Painful |
House Centipede
The house centipede is the one found indoors across North America and Europe. Its body is 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, but its 15 pairs of long, banded legs and long antennae make it look 3 to 4 inches across. The body is yellowish-gray with three dark stripes. It runs fast, hunts at night and hides in damp basements, bathrooms, floor drains and crawl spaces.
Penn State Extension describes house centipedes as harmless to people. They eat silverfish, cockroaches, carpet beetle larvae, spiders and other small pests, so seeing many of them usually points to another pest problem.
Stone Centipedes
Stone centipedes are the small, flat, chestnut-brown centipedes found under rocks, bark and leaf litter in gardens. They have 15 pairs of short legs and wander indoors occasionally in damp weather. They’re harmless and useful garden predators.
Soil Centipedes
Soil centipedes are long, very thin, eyeless and pale yellow to orange, often mistaken for worms. They burrow through soil and compost and have far more legs than other centipedes: from 27 to 191 pairs, always an odd number. Some glow faintly when disturbed.
Giant Centipedes (Scolopendra)
Scolopendra is the genus of big, heavy-bodied centipedes with 21 or 23 pairs of legs and powerful venom claws (forcipules) under the head. They live in warm regions: the giant desert centipede and tiger centipede in the American Southwest, the red-headed centipede in Asia and Hawaii, and the Amazonian giant centipede in South America, the largest species at up to about a foot long. They hunt insects, spiders, and in the biggest species even small lizards, frogs, mice and bats.
A Scolopendra bite causes sharp, burning pain, redness and swelling, sometimes with nausea or a headache, usually easing within a day or two. Serious complications are rare. Wash the bite, apply a cold compress, take an over-the-counter pain reliever and seek care for severe pain, spreading redness, signs of infection or an allergic reaction.
Centipede vs Millipede
| Centipede | Millipede | |
|---|---|---|
| Legs per segment | One pair | Two pairs |
| Body | Flat | Round, tube-like |
| Legs | Stick out to the sides, long | Short, under the body |
| Speed | Fast | Slow; curls up when disturbed |
| Diet | Hunts insects and spiders | Eats decaying plants |
| Bite | Venom claws; can bite | Doesn’t bite; some release irritating fluid |
How to Keep Centipedes Out
- Run a dehumidifier in basements and fix leaks; centipedes need moisture.
- Seal cracks in foundations, around pipes and under doors.
- Clear leaf litter, mulch, stones and boxes from against the house.
- Control the insects they eat, such as silverfish and cockroaches.
- Use sticky traps along walls to catch wanderers indoors.
Centipede control
- Basement dehumidifier to remove the moisture centipedes need
- Sticky traps for basements and bathrooms
- Door sweeps to close gaps under doors
As an Amazon Associate, Pestbugs earns from qualifying purchases.
FAQs
There are more than 3,000 known centipede species worldwide, grouped into five orders: house centipedes, stone centipedes, soil centipedes, giant Scolopendra-type centipedes and a small group of short-bodied centipedes.
Large Scolopendra centipedes, such as the giant desert, Amazonian giant and red-headed centipedes, give very painful bites. Serious harm is rare. House, stone and soil centipedes are harmless to people.
House centipedes rarely bite and usually can’t break the skin. A bite feels like a mild bee sting at worst and fades quickly.
It depends on the species. House and stone centipedes have 15 pairs, Scolopendra centipedes 21 or 23 pairs, and soil centipedes from 27 to 191 pairs. The number of pairs is always odd.
The Amazonian giant centipede, Scolopendra gigantea, is the largest known species, reaching about 12 inches long.
Sources
Facts in this guide are checked against the sources above and reviewed when they change. See how we research in our editorial policy.