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The House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a yellowish grey centipede with 15 pairs of legs. Originally native to the Mediterranean region, the species has spread to other parts of the world, where it usually lives in human homes. The House Centipede is an insectivore that kills and eats insects.

In an act of defence, when one of the house centipedes legs is held down, it drops that leg in hopes that the attacker will be distracted by the temporarily twitching appendage. Unlike most other centipedes, House Centipedes and their close relatives have well-developed, faceted eyes.

Outdoors, house centipedes prefer to live in cool, damp places. Most live outside, primarily under large rocks, piles of wood and especially in compost piles.

Within the home, these centipedes are found in almost any part of the house, most commonly, they are encountered in basements, bathrooms and lavatories, where there is a lot more water, but they can also be found in dry places like offices, bedrooms and dining rooms.

Because they eat household pests, house centipedes are considered among the most beneficial creatures that inhabit human dwellings, but because of their alarming, frightening appearance and painful bite, few homeowners are willing to share a home with them. They do not cause damage to food or furniture.

The house centipede is capable of biting a human, but this seldom occurs. When it does, it is no worse than a minor bee sting. The worst one can usually expect from a house centipedes bite is some pain and a slight swelling at the location of the bite.

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