The house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a fast-moving carnivore that feeds on insects such as cockroaches, house flies, and other small house pests, and is thus beneficial in nature. Though generally harmless to humans, its alarming appearance and painful bite (like a bee sting) result in its extermination from residences.

There are some BIG Centipedes!

Some centipedes have up to 40 eyes and some has less and some centipedes are blind and the eyes are beside the antennae. If centipedes have 40 eyes they still can not see very well.

Some centipedes can more backwards as fast as they more forwards. They even have feelers at the back to help them find their way.

The fastest centipede can run 50cm a second. In South America there is a centipede that has an electric blue body and bright red fangs.

The centipede has huge jaws on the sides of its head. They are long and curved and tipped. The biggest centipede in the world is 25cm.

Centipedes are reddish-brown, flattened, elongated arthropods in the Order Chilopoda. They usually have between 30 and 80 legs with one pair attached on most of their body segments. The first pair of legs is modified into poisonous fangs (chelicerae) located below the mouth, they inject a poison which immobilises the victim allowing the jaws to macerate the body and the fluids to be extracted. Their antennae are longer than those of millipedes. They are totally carnivorous, feeding on live insects and other small animals, they do not damage plants. They may bite if crushed, causing some pain and swelling. A natural predator of vine weevil eggs and grubs, so leave them alone!