What Does a House Centipede Look Like?
The house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, has a narrow striped body and 15 pairs of legs that become longer toward the rear. Long antennae project from the head, while the last leg pair can create a two-ended appearance. Juveniles have fewer leg pairs. Colour and size vary, so leg arrangement and overall body form matter more than colour alone.
The licensed photograph is a morphology reference. It does not prove that every long-legged arthropod in a Tbilisi property is this species.
House centipede reference
Scutigera coleoptrata
- Appearance
- Flattened striped body, very long delicate legs, long antennae and a rear leg pair extending behind the body.
- Context
- Often seen running across walls or floors in damp basements, bathrooms and other sheltered indoor areas.
- Useful clue
- Count the visible leg arrangement and photograph the full body from above rather than relying on colour.
Which Clues Support a Centipede Identification?
The strongest clue is the intact animal: a flattened segmented body with one pair of legs per segment. For a house centipede, look for 15 pairs of long legs and fast running rather than curling. Record where it appeared, nearby dampness and whether other small insects are present; those conditions help explain repeated sightings but do not identify the species alone.
Where Should You Look for Centipede Evidence?
Inspect accessible damp and sheltered areas without opening walls: bathroom edges, basements, floor drains, pipe penetrations, storage corners, door thresholds and cracks at ground level. Photograph moisture or entry gaps separately. A centipede found outdoors under stones or leaf litter does not by itself indicate an indoor infestation.
Bathrooms and basements
Check wall-floor junctions, drains and damp storage areas where prey may also be present.
Pipe and cable gaps
Record accessible openings and condensation without dismantling services.
Ground-level access
Inspect thresholds, foundation cracks and sheltered exterior edges near the sighting.
Common confusion
Centipede, Millipede or Long-Legged Insect?
Centipedes are flattened and have one leg pair per segment. Millipedes are more cylindrical, usually move slowly, may curl when disturbed and have two leg pairs on most apparent body rings. Insects have six legs in total. A detached leg or blurred silhouette is insufficient, so preserve a full-body photograph whenever possible.
Millipede
Cylindrical body, many short legs, slower movement and a tendency to curl.
Long-legged spider
Eight legs attached to two main body regions rather than many segmented leg pairs.
Long-legged insect
Only six legs, even when antennae or wings make the outline appear more complex.
Do not identify the animal from a single detached leg, shadow or motion-blurred image.
What Should You Photograph for Identification?
Take a sharp top view of the full animal with a coin or ruler nearby, then a wider photograph showing the room and surface. If safe, capture the head, antennae and rear leg pair. Record the date, exact location, moisture conditions and whether sightings are isolated or repeated.
- 1
Photograph the complete body from above with a scale reference.
- 2
Capture the head, antennae and rear legs without touching the animal.
- 3
Add a wider image of the bathroom, basement, threshold or other location.
- 4
Record dampness, leaks, nearby insects and the number of sightings.
Safe next steps
What Should You Do After Finding a Centipede?
Avoid handling an unknown centipede with bare hands. For an isolated indoor specimen, document it and remove it without direct contact if this can be done safely. Repeated sightings are better addressed by checking leaks, humidity, entry gaps and prey insects than by spraying an unidentified animal or mixing household chemicals.
- Keep children and pets from touching or playing with the specimen.
- Do not apply pesticide into drains, electrical voids or inaccessible cavities.
- Repair leaks and reduce persistent dampness where practical.
- Investigate recurring insect activity that may provide prey.
- Seek medical advice for concerning symptoms after any suspected bite or sting.
This page supports identification; it does not diagnose a bite or promise a centipede-control service.
Related Identification Resources
Compare similar arthropods, improve your photographs and review practical prevention.