356 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



1896. Marlatt, C. L. — The clover mite. Bull. 4, n.s., Bu. Ent., 

 U. S. Dept. Agri., p. 51. 



1897. The clover mite. Circ. 19, s.s., Bu. Ent., Dept. Agri. 



190S. Swenk, Myron H. — The field or clover mite. Report of 



the Entomologist of Nebraska for 1908, p. 305. 



THE HOUSE CENTIPEDE 



Scutigera forceps 



The house centipede occurs commonly in public build- 

 ings, and frequently in dwelling-houses in the warmer 

 moist regions of the Gulf states. It was a frequent visitor 

 in the classrooms and laboratories of the author, which 

 were situated in the basement of a large brick building. 

 It is, however, not confined to the southern tier of states, 

 but has slowly enlarged its territory and gradually spread 

 northward and westward until it is now found as far 

 north as New York and the New England states and has 

 crossed the Mississippi on its way to the Rockies. 



Its habits and appearance. — The house centipede is 

 referred by most authors to that group of animals known 

 as the Myriapoda (many-footed). Later writers tend 

 to place it in a distinct and separate class, Chilopoda. 

 The near relatives of the house centipede are found out- 

 of-doors, mainly in the woods and fields. They are shy 

 creatures, hiding away during the day beneath logs, stones, 

 and leaves. 



The house centipede prefers warm, moist situations in 

 basements, greenhouses, bathrooms, and pantries, and 

 preferably remains hidden during the daytime, although 

 I have occasionally seen them crawling up walls and along 

 floors in the middle of the day. When seen scudding 



