England history professor discovers rare, venomous centipede at home
A history professor in Nottinghamshire in England discovered at his home a rare and venomous centipede that only had less than 50 sightings since the 1800s.
BBC reported that Richard Jones of the University of Leicester found a Scutigera coleoptrata, or the House Centipede, in his downstairs bathroom last Jan. 11.
Jones had the centipede formally identified by the British Myriapod and Isopod Group. He also reported it to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, and the bug was added to the national database of the United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
According to the University of Leicester, the House Centipede, a voracious predator of insects and arachnids, was the fastest-moving centipede in the world.
It’s endemic to the Mediterranean and has spread throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia.
The House Centipede is extremely rare in the UK, with less than 50 confirmed sightings since 1883. The number, however, has increased with 10 new verified sightings in 2023, according to BBC.
"I really encourage people to keep an eye out for the unusual and report their findings,” Jones is quoted as saying. "There are some brilliant experts out there willing to help and confirm identifications.”
Jones said he’s observing the behavior of his “housemate,” which remains at large.