Please help me!!!!

[zachrocks]

I posted in the wrong group. I am NOT familiar with centipedes AT ALL!!! I found this centipede in my kitchen stopper upper drain plugger up thingy. It was limp and obviously dead. It was nearly as long as a toothpick. Please help me identify this thing and help me understand WHY it was on my kitchen counter.... I actually thought my husband had put it there as a joke to freak me out, called him, he said no. The pics are a little discoloured. It was a teal blueish green colour when I first found it. BTW, I live in Clarksville (Ft. Campbell) Tennessee, why would this thing be here and will this be a case of "since there's one, there's more" type thing? I have squashed (y'all probably don't want to hear that) several regular "house centipedes over the last couple days. I know they are responsible for killing ants, spiders, bed bugs, roaches etc. but I just don't like the idea of them crawling around while I'm sleeping... obviously I'm not one for creepy crawlies

 

[Jezabel]

I looked up a description of what you gave of this Centipede and this is what I found: (Although the pic here looks lighter than what you show) - http://bugguide.net/node/view/52767

Here are more though - http://www.google.com/search?q=Hemi...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=576

What are your thoughts? Hope this helps.

 

[zachrocks]

I thought it was a Tanzanian Blue ring but I have never been or known a centipede enthusiast

 

[Jrod]

tgf

I thought it was a Tanzanian Blue ring but I have never been or known a centipede enthusiast

warning thos are deadly:8o

 

[Jezabel]

I'm not sure either. Sorry I can't be more of help. Both look similar to your Centipede.

 

[zachrocks]

http://www.leedspetshops.co.uk/centipede.html

this is the exact colour it was when I found it

 

[Comatose]

I thought it was a Tanzanian Blue ring but I have never been or known a centipede enthusiast

I don't think that's it... look at the stubby terminal legs... I know they can be spooky to non-bug folks, but I assure you they're harmless.

warning thos are deadly:8o

No, they aren't. Don't post if you don't know what you're talking about.

OP - A few species of centipede, larger ones, can induce generally nasty symptoms if they bite, but none are proven to be 'deadly', and what you've got in your house is unlikely deliver more than a nasty pinch, if anything at all.

---------- Post added at 10:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 PM ----------

I thought it was a Tanzanian Blue ring but I have never been or known a centipede enthusiast

I don't think that's it... look at the stubby terminal legs... I know they can be spooky to non-bug folks, but I assure you they're harmless.

warning thos are deadly:8o

No, they aren't. Don't post if you don't know what you're talking about.

OP - A few species of centipede, larger ones, can induce generally nasty symptoms if they bite, but none are proven to be 'deadly', and what you've got in your house is unlikely deliver more than a nasty pinch, if anything at all.

 

[Galapoheros]

It was probably a Hemiscolopendra marginata, pedes can turn strange dark green and blue colors as they decompose.

 

[zachrocks]

It was probably a Hemiscolopendra marginata, pedes can turn strange dark green and blue colors as they decompose.

LOL... Talk to me like I'm 4.....LOL

I honestly have NO idea what that is or how it got here.
When I found it, it was BARELY dead. It had a couple twitches here & there even as I was moving it from the counter (via toothpics held WAAAY out in front of me) to the piece of toilet paper you see it on in the pics. It was still flimsy and a brilliant bluish green, and when I say brilliant, I mean brilliant. It was actually a beautiful colour.

Maybe THIS colour or a tad darker but not much, and solid, NO variations in the head, rear, or limbs.

 

[Galapoheros]

Oh, haha, I don't know, well what about this, Scolopendra viridis. Here's a range map, are you in the area? http://naturalsciences.org/research-collections/research-specialties/invertebrates/centipedes

 

[Loch Ness]

I live in Tennessee as well (close to Knoxville), and I've only three times seen the centipede you've found. I believe it is Hemiscolopendra marginata (as that's the only centipede I know of to fit the description in this area): http://bugguide.net/node/view/48355. I've only found them in areas with lots of wood.

I've only once seen one that had invaded a house, and it had died of dehydration. An infestation of a house is close to impossible, and chance encounters seem to be rare (as I said, I've found them three times and I actively search for them and things like them in this area). It's not a case where if you see one soon you will see hundreds... it's a case of you might see one in a decade.

 

[Comatose]

Oh, haha, I don't know, well what about this, Scolopendra viridis. Here's a range map, are you in the area? http://naturalsciences.org/research-collections/research-specialties/invertebrates/centipedes

I've never seen viridis with that color form, but that's a good call. The stubby terminal legs remind me of ssp 'texas tiger'... unless that's polymorpha, in which case I'm just confused.

 

[super-pede]

I thought it was a Tanzanian Blue ring but I have never been or known a centipede enthusiast

are you in africa?

warning thos are deadly:8o

you're absolutely correct.

I looked up a description of what you gave of this Centipede and this is what I found: (Although the pic here looks lighter than what you show) - http://bugguide.net/node/view/52767
Here are more though - http://www.google.com/search?q=Hemi...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=576

What are your thoughts? Hope this helps.

probably not marginata. more likely to be viridis

LOL... Talk to me like I'm 4.....LOL

I honestly have NO idea what that is or how it got here.
When I found it, it was BARELY dead. It had a couple twitches here & there even as I was moving it from the counter (via toothpics held WAAAY out in front of me) to the piece of toilet paper you see it on in the pics. It was still flimsy and a brilliant bluish green, and when I say brilliant, I mean brilliant. It was actually a beautiful colour.

Maybe THIS colour or a tad darker but not much, and solid, NO variations in the head, rear, or limbs.

this thing was probably decomposing

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

I actually thought my husband had put it there as a joke to freak me out, called him, he said no.

LOL... Talk to me like I'm 4.....LOL

you're four years old and married?

 

[Crysta]

you're absolutely correct.

Why are you saying this is correct? they are deadly to crickets sure, but not to humans......

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

you're absolutely correct.

probably not marginata. more likely to be viridis

Of course he's not correct as there are NO deadly centipedes, I'm guessing your sarcasm is lost on the rest of us.
Hemiscolpendra is common in Tenessee. Scolopendra viridis isn't even found in that state.

 

[Comatose]

Of course he's not correct as there are NO deadly centipedes, I'm guessing your sarcasm is lost on the rest of us.
Hemiscolpendra is common in Tenessee. Scolopendra viridis isn't even found in that state.

That's what I was thinking, but the body structure looks like viridis, perhaps superficially. It's been a while since I did anything with 'pedes, so I could be a bit rusty.

 

[super-pede]

why are you saying this is correct? They are deadly to crickets sure, but not to humans......

sarcasm...