9 Types of Centipedes in Indiana

9 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Indiana. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Japanese House Centipede and Brown Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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9 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Indiana. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Japanese House Centipede and Brown Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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Real sighting data, source iNaturalist

1,839 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Indiana, most often in April, May, September.

When centipede are recorded in Indiana

Verified species, source iNaturalist

9 types of centipedes recorded in Indiana

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

4 of the 9 shown are recorded as introduced to Indiana rather than native.

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    1

    House Centipede

    Scutigera coleoptrata

    413 recordsIntroduced
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    2

    Japanese House Centipede

    Thereuonema tuberculata

    191 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    3

    Brown Centipede

    Lithobius forficatus

    178 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    4

    Eastern Red Centipede

    Scolopocryptops sexspinosus

    121 records
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    5

    Eastern Bark Centipede

    Hemiscolopendra marginata

    43 records
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    6

    Diamondback Soil Centipede

    Geophilus vittatus

    19 records
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    7

    Big-leg Centipede

    Theatops posticus

    13 records
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    8

    Common Schendyla

    Schendyla nemorensis

    11 recordsIntroduced
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    9

    Garden Lithobius

    Lithobius melanops

    10 records

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

The House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is the most commonly recorded, with 413 verified observations, about 41% of all centipedes reported in Indiana. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.

Indiana also hosts less common centipedes such as Eastern Bark Centipede, Diamondback Soil Centipede and Big-leg Centipede, each recorded fewer than 100 times. These are the species worth a second look when you are out, since a sighting is more notable.

Not every one of these is originally from here. House Centipede, Japanese House Centipede and Brown Centipede are recorded by iNaturalist as introduced in Indiana rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.