UK University Professor Finds Extremely Rare, Venomous Centipede In Toilet

A rare, venomous centipede has been discovered in Nottinghamshire, England, for the first time. The discovery was made at the home of University of Leicester academic Dr Richard Jones. According to a press note, Scutigera coleoptrata, commonly known as the House Centipede, is a carnivorous, venomous, insectivore, and the fastest-moving centipede in the world. It was spotted by Dr Jones in his downstairs bathroom in Upton, near Newark-on-Trent. 

Scutigera coleoptrata is a native of southern Europe and is a voracious predator of insects and arachnids. According to the University of Leicester, the centipede possesses large bulbous eyes and extremely long legs. While it uses its long front legs to lasso its prey, it uses its fearsome fangs to inject them with venom.  

Their bite is non-fatal to humans and is described as akin to a bee sting, the University said. "This centipede is thought to be indigenous to the Mediterranean but has spread through much of Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. However, the critter remains extremely rare in the UK," the press note read. 

Since the discovery on 11 January, the centipede has been formally identified by Steve Gregory from the British Myriapod and Isopod Group, reported to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and added to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's national database. The university said it understood there had been fewer than 50 confirmed sightings since 1883 but the number was rising with 10 new verified sightings in 2023.

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"I really encourage people to keep an eye out for the unusual and report their findings. There are some brilliant experts out there willing to help and confirm identifications," Dr Jones said.

"The more information we can gather about the changes taking place in our environment right now, the better equipped we'll be to assess the likely impacts of increasingly warm temperatures in the UK. It's often the smallest things that are the most important," he added.  

He also went on to say that encounters such as this are a "reminder that we should expect the unexpected as the world warms". Dr Jones said his new housemate remained at large and he was taking every opportunity to observe its behaviour. 

Usually, centipedes are small in size, non-aggressive, and harmless to humans. They can be found roaming around the floor or on the ground outside homes. Human deaths from centipedes are exceedingly rare. A bite from a venomous centipede can cause swelling and excruciating pain.