[TheMercenary]

Another tid bit on the house centipede;

Scutigera coleoptrata, or house centipedes, can be found in a variety of locations worldwide and thrive in differing environments. However, in colder months, they infest homes for warmth and protection.

House centipedes measure approximately two to four centimeters in length. Their bodies are grayish-yellow in color, with three dorsal stripes in longitude. While other centipedes have clusters of ocelli, the house centipede is the only species with compound eyes.

House centipedes have only four pairs of legs during the first of their six larval stages. At each molt, these arthropods grow more legs. Adult indoor centipedes have 15 pairs of white-banded legs that are much longer than those of other centipedes. The unusually long last pair of legs resembles a second set of antennae. In female specimens, these legs can be more than twice the length of the body.

Although the body of a house centipede is stout and contains 15 body segments, there are only seven tergites, or plates, on the upper body surface. This configuration allows house centipedes to be fast runners as well as efficient hunters. If caught by a predator, a house centipede will reflexively detach its legs, which it is capable of regenerating at a later time.

House centipedes feed on spiders, bedbugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish and other common household pests. Although their prey is killed through an injection of venom, the bite of a house centipede rarely induces serious effects in humans.

However, a house centipede infestation can prove troubling and individuals with other known insect allergies should take precaution. Your local pest control professional can discuss extermination options with you.