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7 Types of Centipedes in Massachusetts

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

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7 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Massachusetts. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Brown 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

3,450 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Massachusetts, most often in April, May, October.

When centipede are recorded in Massachusetts

Verified species, source iNaturalist

7 types of centipedes recorded in Massachusetts

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

5 of the 7 shown are recorded as introduced to Massachusetts rather than native.

  • No openly licensed photo yet
    1

    House Centipede

    Scutigera coleoptrata

    1,341 recordsIntroduced
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    2

    Brown Centipede

    Lithobius forficatus

    462 recordsIntroduced
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    3

    Diamondback Soil Centipede

    Geophilus vittatus

    45 records
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    4

    Common Cryptops

    Cryptops hortensis

    37 recordsIntroduced
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    5

    White-Striped Centipede

    Henia vesuviana

    20 recordsIntroduced
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    6

    Eastern Red Centipede

    Scolopocryptops sexspinosus

    16 records
    Wikipedia
  • No openly licensed photo yet
    7

    Garden Lithobius

    Lithobius melanops

    12 recordsIntroduced
    Wikipedia

Plus 9 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 1,341 verified observations, about 69% of all centipedes reported in Massachusetts. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.

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