9 Types of Centipedes in Tennessee
9 types of centipedes have a verified observation record in Tennessee. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Eastern Bark Centipede and Eastern Red 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 Tennessee. The most frequently recorded are House Centipede, Eastern Bark 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
2,631 verified observations on iNaturalist of centipede have been recorded in Tennessee, most often in April, May, June.
When centipede are recorded in Tennessee
Verified species, source iNaturalist
9 types of centipedes recorded in Tennessee
9 centipede species have a verified observation record in Tennessee, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.
3 of the 9 shown are recorded as introduced to Tennessee rather than native.
- No openly licensed photo yet1
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Big-leg Centipede
Theatops posticus
64 records - No openly licensed photo yet7
Blue Belly Centipede
Scolopocryptops nigridius
18 records - No openly licensed photo yet8
- No openly licensed photo yet9
Theatops spinicaudus
Theatops spinicaudus
12 records
Plus 15 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 540 verified observations, about 31% of all centipedes reported in Tennessee. If you spot a centipede here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.
Tennessee also hosts less common centipedes such as Brown Centipede, Big-leg Centipede and Blue Belly 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 Tennessee rather than native, so they arrived with human help rather than on their own.