Japanese House Centipede (Thereuonema tuberculata) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Thereuonema tuberculata is a fast-moving centipede native to East Asia and established in parts of the eastern and midwestern United States. Adults have 15 pairs of long legs and feed on small insects and spiders rather than household materials. It is easily mistaken for the familiar House Centipede and is not known to bite people.

Appearance

Appearance: The body is about 1–1.2 in (25–30 mm) long, with 15 pairs of very long legs, long antennae, , and three dark stripes along a dull yellow-green back.

Look-alikes

House CentipedeScutigera coleoptrata

Both have a striped body and very long legs, so ordinary photos may not show a reliable difference. A close examination of the legs is needed to separate them with confidence.

Why they get mixed upBoth introduced species have a striped body and 15 pairs of extremely long legs.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: buildings
under rocks and logs
forested lakesides
Range: It is native to East Asia. Introduced populations have been documented inside an Ohio building and outdoors in forested and lakeside habitats in Nebraska, with later records from Kansas.
Preferred conditions: It can live around buildings, but U.S. populations also survive outdoors beneath rocks and logs.

Behavior

Diet: It hunts small . In U.S. captivity, it caught moths, spiders, and ants.
Activity: It runs quickly, holds prey with several legs, and can shed a leg when threatened.

Cautions

Cautions: This species is not known to bite people. A cup can be used to move one without handling it.

Name and classification

About the name: This species was first described as Cermatia tuberculata.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

10 sources