2 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 627. 
FORMER AND PRESENT DISTRIBUTION. 
The house centipede is a Southern species, its normal habitat being 
in the southern tier of States and southwestward through Texas into 
Mexico. It has slowly spread northward, having been observed in 
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Fia. 1.—The house centipede (Scutigera forceps): 
Adult. Naturalsize. (Author’s illustration.) 
Pennsylvania as early as 1849, and 
reaching New York and Massa- 
chusetts 30 or 35 years ago, but for 
many years after its first appear- 
ance in the latter two States it 
was of rare occurrence. It is now 
very common throughout New 
York and the New England States, 
and extends westward well beyond 
the Mississippi, probably to the 
mountains. 
DESCRIPTION AND FOOD HABITS. 
It is a very delicate creature, and 
it is almost impossible to catch it, 
even should one desire to do so, 
without dismembering several of its 
numerous legs, or crushing it. If 
captured, so that it can be more 
readily examined, it will be found 
to consist of a worm-like body of 
an inch or a little more in length, 
armed at the head with a pair of 
very long, slender antenne, and 
along the sides with a fringe of fif- 
teen pairs of long legs. The last 
pair is much longer than the others, 
in the female more than twice the 
length of the body. In color it is of 
a grayish yellow, marked above 
with three longitudinal dark stripes. 
Examination of its mouth parts 
shows that they are very powerful, 
and fitted for biting, indicating a 
predatory or carnivorous habit. 
The indications of its mouth parts 
are borne out by its food habits, 
besides being indicated by the known food habits of the other mem- 
bers of the group of centipedes to which it belongs. It was inferred, 
before any direct observations were made, that its food was probably 
house flies, roaches, and any other insect inhabitants of dwellings. 
