12 Types of Centipedes in Pennsylvania
12 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Pennsylvania. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Brown Centipede and Eastern Red Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
Quick Answer
12 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Pennsylvania. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Brown Centipede and Eastern Red Centipede. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
More Pages
More centipede pages for Pennsylvania
Jump back to the main page for this route cluster.
Real sighting data, source iNaturalist
5,166 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Pennsylvania, most often in April, May, March.
When centipede are recorded in Pennsylvania
Verified species, source iNaturalist
12 types of centipedes recorded in Pennsylvania
12 centipede species have a verified observation record in Pennsylvania, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.
6 of the 12 shown are recorded as introduced to Pennsylvania rather than native.
- No openly licensed photo yet1
- No openly licensed photo yet2
- No openly licensed photo yet3
- No openly licensed photo yet4
- No openly licensed photo yet5
- No openly licensed photo yet6
- No openly licensed photo yet7
Scolopocryptops peregrinator
Scolopocryptops peregrinator
38 records - No openly licensed photo yet8
Strigamia bothriopus
Strigamia bothriopus
34 records - No openly licensed photo yet9
- No openly licensed photo yet10
- No openly licensed photo yet11
Big-leg Centipede
Theatops posticus
16 records - No openly licensed photo yet12
Strigamia bidens
Strigamia bidens
10 records
Plus 7 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 1,758 verified observations, about 59% of all centipedes reported in Pennsylvania. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.
Pennsylvania also hosts less common centipedes such as Diamondback Soil Centipede, Japanese House Centipede and Common Cryptops, 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 Japanese House Centipede are recorded by iNaturalist as introduced in Pennsylvania rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.