How to Identify Centipede Eggs

Centipedes may be a occasional household sight, but their eggs can be difficult to find. Most centipede eggs are deposited in soil. In temperate areas, centipede egg-laying occurs in spring and summer. In subtropical and tropical areas, centipedes may lay their eggs at any time.

Centipedes are solitary in nature and most species mate without direct contact. Males will spin small webs into which they deposit sperm. Females find these webs, take them in and fertilize the ova within their own bodies. However, some species do have courtship rituals.

Egg-laying locations and habits vary by species. Females of some species coil around their eggs to guard them from predators and lick them to remove mold spores. Despite the care these species take, females sometimes abandon their eggs after a disturbance. At this time, fungi begin to grow and consume them.

Most species of centipedes lay eggs that hatch into miniature versions of the adults. Once hatched, most centipedes carry only a fraction of their sets of legs. They gain the rest of their legs through a series of molts.