3 Types of Centipedes in Maine

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

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

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Real sighting data, source iNaturalist

444 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Maine, most often in April, May, June.

When centipede are recorded in Maine

Verified species, source iNaturalist

3 types of centipedes recorded in Maine

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

2 of the 3 shown are recorded as introduced to Maine rather than native.

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    1

    Brown Centipede

    Lithobius forficatus

    103 recordsIntroduced
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    2

    House Centipede

    Scutigera coleoptrata

    75 recordsIntroduced
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    3

    Diamondback Soil Centipede

    Geophilus vittatus

    11 records

Plus 6 more recorded only rarely (fewer than 10 verified sightings). Counts from verified iNaturalist observations.

The Brown Centipede (Lithobius forficatus) is the most commonly recorded, with 103 verified observations, about 54% of all centipedes reported in Maine. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.

Maine also hosts less common centipedes such as House Centipede and Diamondback Soil 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. Brown Centipede and House Centipede are recorded by iNaturalist as introduced in Maine rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.