African Giant Centipede

Ethmostigmus trigonopodus · Order: Scolopendromorpha · Family: Scolopendridae

Also called: Blue Ring Centipede

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
African Giant Centipede
Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC BY

The African giant centipede, also called the Tanzanian blue-ring centipede, is found in northern Nigeria. It can become sexually mature in about one year, which is faster than most centipedes. Two recognized subspecies exist: E. trigonopodus trigonopodus and E. trigonopodus pygmenasoides.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

It is known by several common names, including African giant centipede and Tanzanian blue-ring centipede.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It occurs in the northern parts of Nigeria.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

More photos

African Giant Centipede photo 2
Photo: John Lyakurwa, CC BY
African Giant Centipede photo 3
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0
African Giant Centipede photo 4
Photo: Dylan Leonard, CC BY-SA
African Giant Centipede photo 5
Photo: Carrie Powers, CC BY

Questions people ask

How long does it take for the African giant centipede to mature?

It can reach sexual maturity within about one year.

Source: Wikipedia

What are the scientific subspecies of this centipede?

The recognized subspecies are E. trigonopodus trigonopodus and E. trigonopodus pygmenasoides.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Scolopendridae)

Common Desert CentipedeCommon Desert CentipedeScolopendra polymorphaCan biteGiant Desert CentipedeGiant Desert CentipedeScolopendra herosCan biteEastern Bark CentipedeEastern Bark CentipedeHemiscolopendra marginataMediterranean Banded CentipedeMediterranean Banded CentipedeScolopendra cingulataCan biteChinese Red-headed CentipedeChinese Red-headed CentipedeScolopendra mutilansCan biteRed-headed CentipedeRed-headed CentipedeScolopendra morsitansCan bite

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethmostigmus_trigonopodus

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

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