Bug of the Week: red centipede spotted in Lake Country

Photo: Tim DePlonty

Today's bug of the week is the very definition of creepy – and especially crawly, with its many legs.

Tim DePlonty spotted a red centipede near his Lake Country home.

“This guy was about four inches long... Bright red, and moved quite swiftly,” DePlonty said in an email.

An internet search reveals there are 70 types of centipedes in Canada.

They have long, flattened bodies with one pair of legs per segment. The first pair of legs form fangs, which are used to inject venom into their prey. Their last pair of legs plays a role in reproduction.

"Centipedes are commonly found in areas of high moisture, especially outdoors beneath loose bark or piles of leaves, grass, or mulch. They prefer to live outdoors, and lay their eggs in damp soil during the spring and fall seasons," says environmentalpestcontrol.ca.

A centipede’s diet is made up of a variety of prey like spiders, flies, silverfish, cockroaches and woodlice, so they are not the worst creatures to have around your home or business.

Centipede bites rarely cause health complications in humans, and aren't typically dangerous.