House centipede
| House centipede | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | Scutigeromorpha
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| Family: | Scutigeridae
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| Genus: | Scutigera
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| Binomial name | |
| Scutigera coleoptrata | |
The house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a yellowish grey centipede having up to 15 pairs of legs.
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.
