What is THIS?

Heather · Sep 16, 2006

I just found this in one of my humidity trays.

It's dead (thank goodness), but I'm not sure it is even an insect. It could be a flower? It looks like it was once quite purple in color.

Any ideas?

likespaphs · Sep 16, 2006

my guess is a house centipede. they look similar to silverfish, but aren't....

kentuckiense · Sep 16, 2006

Looks to be a Scutigera coleoptrata. They are an ancient outgroup to the modern centipedes/milipedes, I believe.

Edit: Oops, yeah. likespaphs got it. House centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata.

Heather · Sep 16, 2006

Oh, dear god...

Eric Muehlbauer · Sep 16, 2006

Nah, they're cute...and they probably eat the bugs you really don't want.........Eric

cdub · Sep 16, 2006

Eric Muehlbauer said:
...probably eat the bugs ...

Yeah, probably. But maybe they prefer to crawl all over you while you're sleeping, wiggling their feelers all around!!

oke:

lienluu · Sep 16, 2006

They go in your ear when you're asleep.

Heather · Sep 16, 2006

Why?? In heavens name, did I ask???

Here I was thinking it might have been something floral I had brushed against on the very floriforous street I just moved to! It was pretty!!??!?!?!!!

EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!

Several of you know of my complete and utter fear of centipedes.
I found, I think, two babies today as well, both alive. One on the floor and one in a tray. Both were very very small. And are now dead. I may very well have to move.

Seriously. Please, I beg of you, please....how many of these might I expect to see? I am in an old building, and they are doing construction next door. The little ones I might be able to handle, if there are not thousands of them. If I were to see a live one the size of the dead one I found, I would scream bloody murder and faint on the spot. Now, I am terrified. I may never sleep again.

If I disappear. You know why. Please send a rescue party...

cdub · Sep 16, 2006

Well, John might be able to help. We know he prefers to end the lives of most multi-legged creatures, especially if they look at him.

Mahon · Sep 17, 2006

...just found this for you Heather... hopefully you won't have any of these Centipedes around...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/157649/centipede_eats_mouse/

(it's either the largest bug I have seen, or the smallest mouse I have seen...lol)

-Pat

kentuckiense · Sep 17, 2006

Mahon said:
...just found this for you Heather... hopefully you won't have any of these Centipedes around...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/157649/centipede_eats_mouse/

(it's either the largest bug I have seen, or the smallest mouse I have seen...lol)

-Pat

That video is scary. I normally do well with arthropods, too!

There is another video like that of a centipede eating a bat. It's from a BBC David Attenborough documentary that I have around here somewhere...

Edit: HERE we go: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iV6ZDMBmTCg

Heather · Sep 17, 2006

If either of you think I would actually WATCH either of those you are out of your mind.

Lien, don't you dare to try to trick me into it either.

None of you are taking my fear very seriously here! :sob:

Shadow · Sep 17, 2006

I killed couple of centipedes in my own kitchen last year. They were about 7-8 centimeters long and there was no one around to help me. I was so afraid that I cried for couple of hours after that. It's unbelievable but my husband was laughing because he didn't take serious my fear and thought I was just pretending. :sob:

Heather, keep the broom next to you.

SlipperFan · Sep 17, 2006

They are startling critters, but they do eat bugs.

NYEric · Sep 18, 2006

Nah, don't worry about a thing it's just a little flower.. Anyway something that small without a stinger really can't hurt you too much. Anywhere that has water will attract insects. If these are in your growing area they're also in your tub piping. Sorry.

Marco · Sep 19, 2006

Nasty, that mouse one gives me the willies. And the bug eats bat idea is pretty wierd.

Here's one of a preying mantis catching a hummingbird. It's not a video though.

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyardbirds/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.aspx

Drorchid · Sep 19, 2006

Heather,

You also need to know that the house centipede can bite. It has a slightly toxic bite, nothing deadly or to be worried about, but it will probably leave a welt bigger than a mosquito bite.

-Jason using Robert's ID

Heather · Sep 20, 2006

Drorchid said:
Heather,

You also need to know that the house centipede can bite. It has a slightly toxic bite, nothing deadly or to be worried about, but it will probably leave a welt bigger than a mosquito bite.

-Jason using Robert's ID

Yeah, I read that on this scary web site:
http://www.math.umd.edu/~schris/scutigera.shtml

Google was not my friend the other day. Thankfully, I have yet to see any more of these around. Knock-on-wood.

kentuckiense · Sep 20, 2006

Heather said:
Thankfully, I have yet to see any more of these around. Knock-on-wood.

That's because they all went in your ears, duh!

Heather · Sep 20, 2006

Oh Zachary, you are a mean boy!

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