What the sources say
House CentipedeScutigera coleoptrata
Every figure, record and mechanism on the House Centipede profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 44 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Penn State Extension
House Centipedes. Penn State Extension.
- The page saysThe night hunter on 15 pairs of legs, with back legs that on adult females are nearly twice as long as its body.
- The source says
Adult house centipedes have 15 pairs of legs with the last pair (on adult females) nearly twice the length of the body ... come out at night to forage for prey
- The page saysDark, damp spots in buildings, native to the Mediterranean region
- The source says
House centipedes are native to the Mediterranean region ... the centipedes inhabit dark, damp locations in the home
- The page saysSilverfish, cockroaches, spiders and other small arthropods
- The source says
House centipedes feed on silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders, and other small arthropods
- The page saysAn adult house centipede has 15 pairs of legs.
- The source says
Adult house centipedes have 15 pairs of legs
- The page saysOn adult females, the last pair is nearly twice the length of the body.
- The source says
the last pair (on adult females) nearly twice the length of the body
- The page saysThe body is one to one and a half inches long.
- The source says
the body, which is one to one and one-half inches in length
- The page saysAdd the legs and antennae and the whole animal looks three to four inches long.
- The source says
overall appearance of being from three to four inches in length (including legs and antennae)
- The page saysThe body is a dirty yellow with three dark stripes running along it, and the legs are banded light and dark.
- The source says
The legs are banded light and dark, and the body is a dirty yellow with three longitudinal, dark stripes.
- The page saysA newly hatched larva has four pairs of legs.
- The source says
Newly hatched larvae (which are rarely seen) have four pairs of legs.
- The page saysOver the next five molts, when it sheds its hard outer layer, it has 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 pairs.
- The source says
During the next five larval molts, the centipedes will have 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 pairs of legs
Note: 'Sheds its hard outer layer' defines the page's molt for the reader. - The page saysAfter one more molt it counts as an adolescent with 15 pairs, and four more molts later it is an adult.
- The source says
On the next molt, the centipede is considered an adolescent and will have 15 legs during each of the next four molts, after which it becomes an adult.
Note: Source says '15 legs'; the same page's adult count is 15 pairs, so pairs is used. - The page saysFemales have been known to survive for several years and produce up to 150 young.
- The source says
Females have been known to survive for several years and produce up to 150 young.
- The page saysBy day it hides in dark, damp places. At night it comes out to forage.
- The source says
During the daytime, the centipedes inhabit dark, damp locations in the home and come out at night to forage for prey.
- The page saysSilverfish, cockroaches and spiders are on its menu.
- The source says
House centipedes feed on silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders
- The page saysHouse centipedes are native to the Mediterranean region.
- The source says
House centipedes are native to the Mediterranean region
- The page saysThey were accidentally introduced into the southern United States and are now widespread throughout the country and the world.
- The source says
were accidentally introduced into the southern United States. They were first recorded in Pennsylvania in 1849 and are now widespread throughout the country and the world.
- The page saysPenn State Extension calls them harmless and says they feed on small arthropods, including pest insects.
- The source says
they are harmless. House centipedes feed on small arthropods, including pest insects
- The page saysIn Pennsylvania they do not.
- The source says
House centipedes do not survive winters outdoors in Pennsylvania
- The page saysPenn State Extension reports that they readily reproduce inside heated buildings instead, and that they were first recorded in the state in 1849.
- The source says
They were first recorded in Pennsylvania in 1849 ... readily reproduce in heated structures
- The page saysPenn State Extension lists silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders and other small arthropods.
- The source says
House centipedes feed on silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders, and other small arthropods
- The page says15 pairs of legs
- The source says
Adult house centipedes have 15 pairs of legs
Note: vibe.reason, animal half
Source
02
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Scutigera coleoptrata. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysNot Evaluated
- The source says
IUCN Red List No special status
Note: No Red List assessment found by the prefetch: no assessment DOI, and GBIF holds no category. ADW's IUCN line is 'No special status'. - The page saysRear legs that cross above and outside the legs in front of them, which prevents entanglement
- The source says
This allows the rear legs to cross the legs in front of them, going above and to the outside, preventing entanglement.
- The page saysThe legs get progressively longer toward the rear.
- The source says
Their legs progressively get longer towards the rear of the body.
- The page saysThat allows the back legs to cross the legs in front of them, passing above and to the outside, which prevents entanglement.
- The source says
This allows the rear legs to cross the legs in front of them, going above and to the outside, preventing entanglement.
- The page saysThe house centipede is a very quick runner in comparison with other centipedes.
- The source says
are very quick runners in comparison with other centipedes
- The page saysIt senses prey with its antennae, which carry scent and touch receptors.
- The source says
It senses its prey using its antennae which have scent and touch receptors on them.
- The page saysIt then holds the prey in fangs, which are its modified first pair of legs, while injecting poison.
- The source says
The first pair of legs is modified into fangs used for capturing prey and as protection. ... House centipedes then use their fangs to hold the prey while injecting poison with the modified front legs.
- The page saysIt makes better use of its eyes than most other centipedes.
- The source says
makes better use of its eyes than most other centipedes
- The page saysAnimal Diversity Web lists them across Europe, Asia and North America.
- The source says
it can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
- The page saysThey are not aggressive, but Animal Diversity Web says they can bite in self-defense.
- The source says
House centipedes are not aggressive, but can bite people in self-defense.
- The page saysIn homes they are more common in basements and bathrooms, probably because those rooms are more humid.
- The source says
In residences they're more commonly found in basements and bathrooms (probably because of higher humidity there).
- The page saysIt can, in self-defense, but it is not aggressive.
- The source says
House centipedes are not aggressive, but can bite people in self-defense.
- The page saysIts fangs are often too weak to break human skin.
- The source says
Often their fangs are not strong enough to break the skin.
- The page saysWhen they do get through, the venom can cause a painful bite, which Animal Diversity Web compares to a honeybee sting.
- The source says
If they do get through skin, the venom injected can cause a painful bite, comparable to a honeybee sting.
- The page saysAnimal Diversity Web notes that the house centipede has a shorter body and longer legs than other centipede species, which stops it tripping over itself as it runs.
- The source says
They have a shorter body and longer legs than other species, preventing them from tripping over themselves as they run.
- The page saysThe rear-most legs are twice as long as the front-most ones.
- The source says
The rear-most legs are actually twice as long as the front-most legs.
- The page saysAnimal Diversity Web adds worms, snails and fly larvae.
- The source says
is carnivorous, eating worms, snails, cockroaches, silverfish, fly larvae, and other arthropods
- The page saysget longer toward the rear so the back legs cross the ones in front without tangling
- The source says
Their legs progressively get longer towards the rear of the body. ... This allows the rear legs to cross the legs in front of them, going above and to the outside, preventing entanglement.
Note: vibe.reason, animal half
Source
03
Meyer-Rochow, Müller & Lindström 2006
Meyer-Rochow, Müller & Lindström (2006). Spectral sensitivity of the eye of Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha: Scutigeridae). Applied Entomology and Zoology.
- The page saysElectrical recordings from the eye of Scutigera coleoptrata found two sensitivity peaks, one near 448 nm and a second, lower one in the ultraviolet around 350 nm.
- The source says
We located two sensitivity peaks: one in the vicinity to light of 448 nm wavelength and a second 0.25–0.5 log unit lower one in the ultraviolet region (UV) of the spectrum around 350 nm
- The page saysThe authors called the ultraviolet sensitivity surprisingly well developed.
- The source says
the surprisingly well-developed UV-sensitivity
- The page saysEach eye contains about 150 ommatidia, which are tiny lens units.
- The source says
Since the eyes contain about 150 ommatidia
Note: Species figure for S. coleoptrata, which the paper takes from Müller et al. 2003; 'tiny lens units' defines ommatidia for the reader. - The page saysAmong centipedes, millipedes and their relatives, only its group, the Scutigeromorpha, has eyes of closely packed hexagonal facets like those of insects.
- The source says
Amongst the Myriapoda we find eyes of 100–600 ommatidial units, arranged as closely packed hexagonal facets, resembling typical insect and crustacean ommatidia, only in the Scutigeromorpha
Note: 'Centipedes, millipedes and their relatives' defines Myriapoda for the reader. The 100 to 600 range is group scope and is not stated for this species.
Source
04
Sombke, Harzsch & Hansson 2011
Sombke, Harzsch & Hansson (2011). Organization of deutocerebral neuropils and olfactory behavior in the centipede Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Myriapoda: Chilopoda). Chemical Senses.
- The page saysBehavioral experiments indicate it can perceive airborne stimuli from live prey.
- The source says
behavioral experiments indicate that S. coleoptrata is able to perceive airborne stimuli, both from live prey and from a chemical extract of the prey
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.