what's my bug???

[flower]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies but it is definately not a centipede, these things are faster and creepier!!! The body is a bit thinner and soft looking and the legs are much longer and really thin and spidery. Next time I spot one I'll take a photo and post it on here so keep watching this space. (After seeing them daily, you can bet I won't see one for a week now I want to!)

Thanks again!

[Hoddy]

I think these may be the same things that we had a thread on last year which I cannot now find.

Those things were like frilly centipedes and someone said that they bite. I remember whizzing round the bathroom rather more quickly than usual after discovering one in a folded up towel.

Can anyone else remember the name ?

Hoddy

[Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com]

Hi Flower,

Did you follow the Google link I suggested? Centipedes vary you know, and some are exactly as you describe. They're about the fastest running insects in the garden as they're predators.

[flower]

I did have a look at the thread Ian, but none of the pictures were anything like it. Sounds like Hoddy might know what I mean - frilly is a good description. It's hard to describe but these things look really flimsy and soft-bodied, not like centipedes which seem to look a bit more purposeful!

I've been like a woman on a mission today scouring the house for one armed with a camera, but do you think I can find any? Typical!!

I'll gather evidence and come back to you soon!

[Mikew]

15 pairs of legs and antennae. - Try 'Scutigera coleoptrata', the picture I have seems to match your description, we have theme here (16), nickname "TGV" from the speed they run, quite often end up in the sink, unable to get out!

Mike

http://arthropoda.free.fr/index.php?page=phoscu001 for pic.

[flower]

Mike,

 

Couldn't access the link but looked up the name and guess what - you found it!!! Well done and thank you.

 

I apologise to those who suggested it was a centipede because you were right, apparently it is a 'house centipede' but have a look - doesn't really look like those others with little legs does it? I had miscounted the legs too, probably missed the last few when I was running in the other direction!

 

In case anyone else is interested, here's some info... now we've all learnt something new today!!

 

Thanks all of you for your replies, much appreciated and at least I can rest a little easier knowing they're not about to swallow me whole in my sleep!

 

House centipede Order: Scutigeromorpha Family: Scutigeridae Genus and species: Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus)

The house centipede is often seen darting across floors at high speed, occasionally stopping suddenly and remaining motionless for some time before racing off once more.  Its cylindrical body can grow to an inch or more in length.  It is yellowish brown and bears three dark longitudinal stripes dorsally.  The 15 pairs of slender, banded legs increase in length from the front to the back of the body.  The last pair is much longer than the others.  The legs give the animal the appearance of great size.  Unlike most other centipedes, house centipedes and their close relatives have well-developed, faceted eyes. S. coleoptrata is probably indigenous in the Mediterranean region, but it has spread through much of Europe, Asia, and North America.  In the United States, it has spread from the southern states and Mexico.  It reached Pennsylvania in 1849, New York in 1885, and Massachusetts about 1890, and it is now extends westward to the Rocky Mountains and beyond (Lewis 1981).  The house centipede is found both outdoors and indoors.  Indoors, it is an inhabitant of damp places, such as bathrooms, moist closets, and cellars, crawl spaces, and piles of fire wood.  Drying and cleaning these areas should help to control infestations of these centipedes. In captivity, house centipedes feed readily on cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and other insects and small spiders.  They capture prey by half pouncing and half lassoing them.  They can capture several prey items at one time.  They feed on one specimen while holding the others with their quivering, lashing appendages (Lewis 1981). Eggs are laid in spring and early summer.  In laboratory rearings, 24 females produced an average of 63 eggs each and a maximum of 151 eggs.  Larvae hatch with four pairs of legs.  There are five more larval instars with 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 pairs of legs (Cloudsley-Thompson 1968). Although house centipedes are not aggressive, and their jaws are not powerful enough to break human skin easily, they will sometimes bite in self-defense.  Severe swelling and pain can result from the venom injected, but in most cases the bite is no worse than the sting of a bee.

 

[Trishaa<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><EM>Trisha<EM><FONT><P><P><IMG height=198 src="http:www.gifmania.co.ukDisneyWinniejpoohlef.gif" width=133><P><P> <P>]

I just wanted to say 'Thanks You Guys' - this is a great thread and it's answered so many of my questions all at once on the bugs I've spotted (and hated so much- especially the long legged centipedes).

Thank heavens for this forum - you are all a mine of info and so helpful to the new guys in the block

Trisha