8 Types of Centipedes in Missouri

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

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

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Real sighting data, source iNaturalist

1,877 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Missouri, most often in April, May, October.

When centipede are recorded in Missouri

Verified species, source iNaturalist

8 types of centipedes recorded in Missouri

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

3 of the 8 shown are recorded as introduced to Missouri rather than native.

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    1

    House Centipede

    Scutigera coleoptrata

    520 recordsIntroduced
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    2

    Japanese House Centipede

    Thereuonema tuberculata

    262 recordsIntroduced
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    3

    Eastern Red Centipede

    Scolopocryptops sexspinosus

    97 records
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    4

    Brown Centipede

    Lithobius forficatus

    85 recordsIntroduced
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    5

    Eastern Bark Centipede

    Hemiscolopendra marginata

    33 records
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    6

    Theatops spinicaudus

    Theatops spinicaudus

    25 records
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    7

    Diamondback Soil Centipede

    Geophilus vittatus

    21 records
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    8

    Big-leg Centipede

    Theatops posticus

    13 records

Plus 13 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 520 verified observations, about 49% of all centipedes reported in Missouri. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.

Missouri also hosts less common centipedes such as Eastern Red Centipede, Brown Centipede and Eastern Bark 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 Missouri rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.