House centipede

The house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a yellowish grey centipede having up to 15 pairs of legs.

House centipede
Scutigera coleoptrata MHNT .jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Scutigeromorpha
Family:
Scutigeridae
Genus:
Scutigera
Binomial name
Scutigera coleoptrata

The species are found all across the world and live in human apartments or houses. The house centipede is an insectivore; it kills and eats arachnids and insects. They were first discovered around 1758. These centipedes are harmless to humans, although humans may be startled by them. It is a nocturnal animal.

House centipedes live from three to seven years, depending on the environment. They can start breeding in their third year.

They are among the fastest artropods: they can reach speeds of up to 420mm/s, which is about 1.5km/h.