4 Types of Centipedes in Hawaii

4 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Hawaii. The most frequently recorded are Pacific Giant Centipede, Red-headed Centipede and Blue Keeled Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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4 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Hawaii. The most frequently recorded are Pacific Giant Centipede, Red-headed Centipede and Blue Keeled Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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Real sighting data, source iNaturalist

1,639 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Hawaii, most often in March, May, July.

When centipede are recorded in Hawaii

Verified species, source iNaturalist

4 types of centipedes recorded in Hawaii

4 centipede species have a verified observation record in Hawaii, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.

4 of the 4 shown are recorded as introduced to Hawaii rather than native.

  • No openly licensed photo yet
    1

    Pacific Giant Centipede

    Scolopendra subspinipes

    1,144 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    2

    Red-headed Centipede

    Scolopendra morsitans

    171 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    3

    Blue Keeled Centipede

    Otostigmus scaber

    140 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    4

    Minor Blueleg Centipede

    Rhysida longipes

    12 recordsIntroduced

Plus 4 more recorded only rarely (fewer than 10 verified sightings). Counts from verified iNaturalist observations.

The Pacific Giant Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes) is the most commonly recorded, with 1,144 verified observations, about 78% of all centipedes reported in Hawaii. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.

Not every one of these is originally from here. Pacific Giant Centipede, Red-headed Centipede and Blue Keeled Centipede are recorded by iNaturalist as introduced in Hawaii rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.