Scutigera coleoptrata (Linné, 1758) ~ The House Centipede
Scutigera coleoptrata is typically found indoors and, with its elongated legs and rapid movement, is of highly characteristic appearance. Although well-known on the Channel Islands, on mainland Britain it was always perceived to be something of a mythical beast on a par with the unicorn. Historical records are sparse; inside a paper mill near Aberdeen in 1883, then a wine cellar in Edinburgh in 1907 and a pre-1955 record from Colchester. However, since the 1990s there have been about thirty records, most made in the last decade and typically from inside houses. This seems to be a species on the increase, possibly due to climate change.
A video on House Centipedes in Nottinghamshire (and elsewhere) by Trevor Pendleton aka Ramblings of an Entomologist can be viewed here.
If you find one in your house, or even in a garden, the BMIG Centipede Recording Scheme would love to know!
Read the full species account here.
Image © Nigel Partridge