Centipede

Centipedes are myriapods in the class Chilopoda, predatory arthropods distinguished from millipedes by having only one pair of legs per body segment and a generally flattened, fast-moving body. The house centipede, one of the most familiar species to people, exemplifies the group's speed and predatory lifestyle, using long legs to sprint after prey rather than the slow crawl typical of millipedes.

All centipedes are predators, using a pair of modified front legs called forcipules, located just behind the head, to grasp and subdue small invertebrate prey. This predatory adaptation sets the group apart ecologically from the plant-detritus-feeding millipedes, despite the two groups' superficial resemblance as many-legged arthropods.

Centipedes are found worldwide and range enormously in size and leg count across species, from small soil-dwelling forms to large tropical species, filling an important role as invertebrate predators in leaf litter, soil, and indoor environments alike.

• Flattened, elongated, segmented body with one pair of legs per body segment, unlike the two pairs per segment seen in millipedes.
• In species like the house centipede, extremely long, banded legs that increase in length toward the rear of the body, along with long antennae.
• Fast, darting movement, often erratic, in sharp contrast to the slow, steady crawl of millipedes.
• A pair of modified front legs (forcipules) near the head used to grasp prey, sometimes mistaken for mouthparts or fangs.
• Lookalikes: millipedes (rounded body, two leg pairs per segment, slow deliberate movement, no forcipules).

Centipedes occur worldwide, from tropical to temperate regions, favoring consistently moist, dark microhabitats such as leaf litter, soil, under rocks and logs, and, for house-associated species, damp indoor spaces like basements and bathrooms. They are largely nocturnal, avoiding light and dry conditions.

Activity is often greatest in warm, humid seasons, though house-associated species may be encountered indoors year-round in climate-controlled buildings. They typically remain hidden in cracks, crevices, or under debris during the day.

Centipedes are active predators that hunt small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and other arthropods, using speed and their venom-injecting forcipules to capture and subdue prey. They rely on quick, agile movement to chase down or ambush prey rather than building traps or webs.

Most species are solitary and avoid light, retreating quickly into cover when exposed. As predators, centipedes help regulate populations of other small invertebrates within soil, leaf litter, and indoor environments, and they are themselves preyed upon by birds, larger arthropods, and other animals.

Females lay eggs, often singly or in small groups in soil or moist debris, with some species providing a degree of parental care by guarding the eggs. Hatchlings emerge with fewer legs and segments than an adult in many species and gain additional segments and leg pairs through successive molts, similar in pattern to millipede development.

Development to adulthood can take from several months to a few years depending on species, and some centipedes can live for several years as adults. They generally overwinter in sheltered soil, leaf litter, or indoor voids, becoming more active again as temperature and humidity rise.