Fossil of a three-meter centipede found in England

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The centipede is a nasty insect. This ugly creature is believed to be highly poisonous and can harm humans. But, despite their frightening appearance, most of them do not pose any particular danger, with the exception of monsters such as centipede and several other rarely encountered species.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Centipede

Centipedes are classified as centipedes from the subclass of invertebrates, which unite four classes of terrestrial arthropods. There are more than 12,000 species of centipedes, including 11 fossils that lived about 450 million years ago. The clearly identified fossils date back to the late Silurian period and are considered to be the oldest arthropods to emerge from the ocean onto land to date.

Video: Centipede

Due to the similar structure of the limbs and a number of other characteristics, for quite a long time centipedes were classified as insects, but they are not. After much research, it was found that centipedes represent a sister group to ordinary insects, that is, they have a common ancient ancestor, but all kinship ends there. This species of arthropod formed a superclass of the same name - millipedes, which belongs to the subphylum tracheae.

Fun fact: Adult centipedes can have anywhere from 30 to 354 legs, but the number of pairs of legs is never even. The house centipede, or common flycatcher, as it is also called, has legs that grow gradually as the individual grows older, and as a result, mature centipedes have 15 pairs of limbs. If a flycatcher has fewer than 30 legs, it has not yet reached sexual maturity.

Appearance and features

Photo: What a centipede looks like

Centipedes have a very specific, even frightening appearance. An adult centipede grows up to 4-6 cm in length. Like all arthropods, the flycatcher has an exoskeleton, which consists of chitin. The body is highly flattened, divided into 15 separate segments, each of which has a pair of legs. The very last pair is much longer than the others and looks very much like a mustache. In females, the hind legs can be twice as long as the body itself. For this reason, it is very difficult for an ignorant person to determine where the head of this ugly creature is.

The body is yellowish-gray or brown with longitudinal red-violet stripes, the legs are also striped. In the process of evolution, the front pair of legs of the centipede turned into jaws, with which it defends itself and quite deftly captures prey. The head is small, with complex compound eyes located on each side. The whiskers of adult individuals are very long and whip-like, consisting of several hundred segments. With the help of its antennae, the centipede constantly evaluates many environmental parameters and can sense danger at a fairly large distance.

Interesting fact: Thanks to a special body structure consisting of very mobile segments, flycatchers are incredibly agile and are able to move at speeds of up to 50 meters per second, both on horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Now you know what a centipede looks like. Let's see what this insect eats.

What kind of flies can you find in the house?

It has not yet been established exactly how many species of flies live in nature. The family of these dipterans has several hundred species. However, not all of them need proximity to humans. Among them, those living in the wild stand out, but the number of synanthropic species, at the ecological level associated with human settlements, is impressive.

Fly

Synanthropus insects pose a potential threat to human health, which is largely due to what the flies eat. According to the nature of food consumption of adults, several groups are distinguished, and in each of them the specific type of nutrition of the adults corresponds to the method of feeding of the larvae.

So, the following groups of these dipterans live near humans:

• Coprophagous - This type feeds on human and animal excrement and food waste. Plant sap is what flies feed on in nature, an additional food resource. The most common species are the grassland Muscidae and the brownie.
• Hematophagous - these dipterans in the adult stage prefer human and animal blood, sweat, blood and ichor oozing from wounds, and the larvae require excrement or decomposing animal remains and plant remains. Common representatives are the market fly and the autumn fly.
• Polyphages are insects that, as adults, feed on human excrement and food, waste, and secretions from wounds and mucous membranes. The housefly is a typical representative of this type.

House flies and house flies are the most common in homes, but pasture flies, market flies, and autumn flies also enter the house. Usually, with the onset of cold weather, insects disappear; an ambient temperature of 23 degrees Celsius is comfortable for their life.

See also: Review of the most effective fly repellent tapes

Feeding process in flies

What do flies eat? These dipterans are considered practically omnivorous. And the lack of teeth is not a hindrance. The feeding process involves a long proboscis - a kind of tongue divided into two tubes. It is through them that the food that the fly eats is absorbed.

Feeding process in flies

This is interesting, but without exaggeration these insects can be called gourmets - they do not eat everything. On the paws of an adult individual there are taste buds that allow you to taste food before the proboscis gets involved.

What do flies eat in the house? It is most convenient for insects to eat liquid food, since solid food is more difficult to eat. The indoor snack lover spends too much energy on eating and digesting it: first, solid food is abundantly moistened with saliva, and only then penetrates the digestive tract.

Typically, these dipterans are not capable of sucking human blood, but the mouthparts of the housefly, which is very similar to a housefly, are designed in a special way. The proboscis, strongly elongated and equipped with chitinous “teeth” at the end, scrapes off the epidermis by friction and lets saliva into the puncture. The zhigalka not only feeds on blood, but also leaves irritation at the site of the bite.

What foods do flies prefer?

There is what flies feed on most readily, and there is food that is used only in the absence of the preferred one. Thus, “favorite” foods include sweet foods: jam, compotes, juices, honey, etc. For the larvae to mature, flies need protein food, and here preference is given to meat, fish, etc., especially decomposing and spoiling foods.

Human housing is an ideal “dining room” for flies, and the food here is very varied. They use ready-made dishes that are not protected by lids and packaging, food waste, and when accessing the toilet (relevant for private homes), excrement. And this is not all that flies eat at home. Animal bowls, children's pots with excrement that were not removed in time, rotting fruit - all this also serves as a place for a feast.

Where does the centipede live?

Photo: Centipede in Russia

Centipedes are found in abundance in countries and regions with temperate, hot climates.

Its natural habitat is:

• the entire Middle East, northern Africa, central and southern Europe;
• southern regions, central Russia, Volga region;
• Ukraine, the entire Caucasus, Kazakhstan and Moldova;
• Mediterranean countries, India.

For reproduction and normal life, centipedes need moisture. In forests it is easy to find under almost any stone, at the roots of trees, among fallen leaves. With the onset of autumn, these creatures look for warmer, secluded places and quite often appear in human dwellings. They most often do not live permanently in apartments and houses, but only wait out the cold. In winter they hibernate, but with the first warmth they come to life and move to their natural habitat.

In human dwellings, flycatchers can be found:

• in basements and cellars;
• bathrooms;
• any rooms with high humidity.

Interesting fact: Penetrating into a living space through cracks in the walls or through a pipeline, centipedes live only in one specific place and do not move. They do not multiply to incredible numbers like cockroaches, and do not spoil food, furniture, flowers, and so on.

Sometimes flycatchers appear indoors even in summer. They can be attracted by various insects that live in abundance in human housing due to unsatisfactory sanitary conditions.

Fighting a centipede

The insect's body has a very unattractive appearance, so they try to drive it out of the room.

• As a preventative measure, dry the wettest places, destroy all kinds of insects that provide food for the flycatcher, and seal cracks in the walls.
• The centipede does not live in colonies; it leads an independent lifestyle. If you wish, you can catch it and take it out of the room.

If the above methods do not bring the desired result, they resort to chemical methods.

• Artificial and natural pesticides are a good method of protection against these centipedes. You can try using boric acid in your home. During work, be sure to use personal protective equipment: masks, respirators and gloves.
• It is possible to attract specialists to use smoke preparations. These products do not harm humans; they are directed only against insects. Furniture surfaces and clothing are not affected by the treatment.

Surprisingly, the number of flycatchers is constantly decreasing, especially in the mountains of Crimea. The flycatcher, as an endangered animal, is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

What does a centipede eat?

Photo: Centipede insect

All centipedes are predators, including flycatchers.

Their usual diet:

• ants and their eggs;
• cockroaches, including domestic ones;
• flies, ticks and a number of other harmful insects.

They are not dangerous for people and animals. The poison that the centipede is capable of producing can paralyze and kill only small insects. This creature, despite its vile appearance, brings many benefits to agriculture, which is why it is protected in a number of agricultural countries.

Having caught a fly or cockroach, the centipede does not immediately start eating - it injects a portion of its poison into the living victim and waits until it completely immobilizes it, and only then eats it in a secluded corner. The flycatcher holds insects with its many legs and powerful jaws, and the victim has no chance of escape. From 3 to 5 insects can be destroyed at a time.

Despite the fact that house centipedes are not dangerous to humans and do not attack them, you should not handle these creatures with your bare hands, as they may bite in defense. Their sting is similar to that of a bee and can cause allergic reactions in children and allergy sufferers.

Interesting fact: If centipedes are infested in a living room, then it is very difficult to get rid of them, since they are not tempted by bait, sticky tapes do not cause significant harm to them - lost limbs are regenerated in a fairly short period of time.

How to get rid

Many people are concerned about how to get rid of centipedes in a private home, since they find them on their territory quite often. But there are also those who are interested in how to get rid of centipedes in an apartment.

Arthropodologists argue that it is not necessary to immediately resort to aggressive methods. To begin with, it is advisable to use simple, non-toxic methods.

Folk remedies

When flycatchers appear in an apartment, experienced housewives will tell you what to do. They tried folk remedies from personal experience.

The following methods are popular:

1. Keeping clean and dry. Centipedes are attracted to moisture. If the room is warm and damp, then arthropods will willingly live there. To remove them, try to wipe dry all wet places in the apartment or house. They also carry out regular cleaning and get rid of fungal growths on the walls.
2. Freezing of living space. Family members leave the house or apartment and leave the room without heating for 2-3 days in winter. During this time, not only centipedes die, but also other pests. But since many residential premises use a central heating system, not everyone will be able to use this method of control.
3. Use of boric acid. This inexpensive pharmaceutical drug gets rid of insects and rodents. Arthropods such as the centipede are also afraid of it. Fragments of boric acid, when they come into contact with the body of the flytrap or inside, cause a strong burning sensation, causing death.

Experienced housewives also recommend installing fine-mesh grilles on all ventilation openings, which must be cleaned regularly. In addition, it is advisable to make a classic cosmetic repair when peeling wallpaper, cracks in the plaster or fallen tiles appear.

Mechanical methods

Centipedes are interesting arthropods. Some claim that they have a good memory and are able to compare certain events. If you catch several centipedes and then release them on the street far from the house, then the remaining arthropods will also not claim this living space.

But not everyone is so humane towards such creatures, so most often they get rid of them using a fly swatter or slippers.

Chemicals

When resorting to the help of chemicals, it is important to think carefully about how to poison centipedes, since not all the usual poisons that kill harmful insects act on them. Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:

Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:

1. Glue traps. Some try to catch centipedes using this product, which has proven itself in the fight against cockroaches or ants. But doing this is pointless, because even if the centipede falls into a trap and sticks with several legs, it will lose them without regret. This will not prevent her from running, and the damaged limbs will grow back.
2. Medilis-Ziper. This toxic agent has proven itself well in the fight against arthropods. It is sprayed using a spray bottle in those places where centipedes run most often. This product is good because it does not harm pets.
3. Global Original. The product is available in the form of a paste. It has a toxic effect on many pests. The product has an unpleasant odor, but it is faint, so the paste is used in apartments with pets. The insecticide is applied in a thin layer along baseboards and where centipedes often appear.

If you decide to fight centipedes with toxic drugs, you should take care of your personal safety by using gloves and a protective mask. And before returning to your apartment or house, they should be thoroughly ventilated.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Black centipede

Centipedes are predominantly nocturnal, but can also be found during daylight hours in shaded areas. Flycatchers are true sprinters among all their relatives. If at rest this creature presses tightly to the surface, then while running it raises its body as much as possible.

Excellent eyesight and sense of smell, a special structure of the legs that allows them to stay on steep walls, made centipedes excellent hunters. Thanks to the flexibility of the body, they are able to penetrate even the narrowest crevices. For normal life functions, a lot of energy is needed, so they are almost constantly in search of food, tracking down unwary flies or spiders.

Sometimes centipedes are called centipedes, although these creatures have a lot of differences, and not only in appearance. Scolopendras, which live primarily in the tropics, are not as harmless as their centipede relatives. Their poisonous bite can cause significant harm to human health, including death.

Interesting fact: After touching centipedes, you must wash your hands and never touch your eyes, since there are poisonous glands on the sides of the body of these creatures, and the poison can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes.

Where do they come from in the apartment?

In nature, centipedes live in damp fallen leaves. But if there is a house nearby that has damp and warm places, centipedes will definitely move there. They simply come in search of food, and when they see optimal living conditions and the availability of food, they stay.

During the cold season, flycatchers hide in secluded corners and freeze. In spring they “wake up” and become more active. But if the insect senses a draft, possible danger or a drop in temperature, it will immediately hide and freeze again.

To get rid of insects, our readers recommend the Pest-Reject repeller. The operation of the device is based on the technology of electromagnetic pulses and ultrasonic waves! Absolutely safe, environmentally friendly product for humans and pets.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Centipede at home

All centipedes are loners, but in case of a chance meeting, individuals usually quietly crawl away and fights between them are extremely rare. There were no cases of cannibalism among these creatures. The last days of May or the beginning of June is the breeding season of centipedes. By this time, females begin to produce special substances, attracting a male.

Their fertilization process is peculiar:

• the male closes the entrance to his dwelling in the ground with a web and deposits his spermaphore in the resulting sac;
• the female crawls under the sperm sac and grabs it with her genital appendages, and after a few days lays eggs in a dug hole, which she then covers with sticky mucus.

The clutch may consist of 70-130 eggs. For several weeks, the female guards the clutch, clasping it with her paws. To protect against mold, it secretes a special substance. The larvae emerge together. They are initially white in color and very soft with four pairs of legs. With each molt, the young grow new pairs of legs, and the body color gradually darkens. Only after the fifth or sixth molt the larvae will have 15 pairs of limbs. Under natural conditions, centipedes live 4-6 years. Young animals become completely similar to adults only after puberty.

Natural enemies of centipedes

Photo: What a centipede looks like

Centipedes have a small number of enemies, since due to the large number of poisonous glands, they are not to the taste of many predators, and for some they can also be dangerous. However, centipedes do not mind snacking on snakes, rats and even cats. For rats and pets, snacking on these creatures risks becoming infected with parasites that can inhabit the bodies of poisonous “caterpillars.”

It has been noticed that some species of centipedes, for example scolopendra, in an artificial habitat can eat their own relatives, especially young animals. In nature, this happens extremely rarely and only when there is not enough usual food. Most often, these creatures coexist peacefully without getting into fights. Only sometimes males can cling together with their many legs and lie curled up in a ball for 10-15 minutes, and then disengage and go about their business again.

Interesting fact: The largest representative of the centipede superclass reaches a length of 35 centimeters. This is a poisonous giant scolopendra that is found only in the tropics and its bite is often fatal to humans.

If a young, inexperienced bird accidentally grabs a centipede from the ground for a snack, it immediately spits it out. More experienced individuals do not touch centipedes at all.