Posted by kapua on October 22, 2003
Q: how many larvae do centipedes lay in a batch?
A: You didn't mention what kind of centipede you're interested in so I'll assume you're referring to the House Centipede since this is our most commonly known one. Although some centipedes do give birth to live young, the House Centipede and most others, lay eggs. They usually lay their eggs individually rather than in clusters. I wasn't able to find out an approximate number of eggs laid by this species.
When the larvae hatch they only have 4 pairs of legs but as they grow and molt (shed their skin) they add pairs of legs until they reach 15 pairs. Centipedes are carnivors and prey on living prey such as insects and spiders. Although many people don't like having them in their homes, they help homeowners by preying on many creepy crawlies that might live there. Hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( October 22, 2003)