Brown Centipede - Lithobius forficatus

Distribution and habitat

The brown centipede can commonly be found all over central Europe in open countryside, as well as in woods and gardens. All year round, it hides by day mainly under stones or dead bark.

Way of life and characteristic features

This creature attains a body length of between 20 and 30 mm and is, therefore, the largest species of its genus. These nocturnal creatures hunt insects and other arthropods. As soon as a feeler has disturbed its prey, the powerful first pair of legs, the maxillipeds, grasp it firmly and inject it with a rather effective poison. A fly, for example, is momentarily paralysed by this. Large specimens can also give people a painful bite. Centipedes can live up to the age of seven.