Centipedes vs. Millipedes: What’s the Difference?

Millipedes and centipedes might look similar at first glance—long, many legs, and often found in damp spots—but they are different creatures. From the number of legs and body shape to diet, habitat, and lifespan, each has its own unique habits and adaptations. Knowing how to tell centipedes and millipedes apart can help you understand their role in the ecosystem and how to prevent them from coming into your home.

What Are the Differences Between Millipedes and Centipedes?

Millipedes and centipedes might both have a lot of legs, but that’s where the similarities end. Check out this table to see how they match up—from legs and color to diet and habitat. 

Millipedes vs Centipedes: Differences in Appearance

Although their similarities may deceive you, millipedes and centipedes have enough differences to easily tell them apart if you’re willing to get a closer look. 

Size

Millipedes tend to be on the smaller side, measuring from ½ to 4 inches, though some tropical species can grow as large as 12 inches long. Centipedes tend to measure around 1 to 6 inches long, so they’re the bigger insect between the two. 

Color

Both insects can be brown or black, but only the centipede can come in lighter colors, such as yellow and orange. Millipedes are more dark and earthy to help them blend in with their natural habitat, and sometimes even have ring-like patterns on the outside of their bodies. Centipedes are more varied in color and can have stripes or legs with contrasting colors. 

Shape

Millipedes are rounder and thicker than centipedes, which have a flatter, slimmer shape than their counterpart. If you’re trying to identify a millipede from a centipede, the larger of the two is the millipede. 

Number of Legs

While both have a lot of legs, millipedes have 4 legs per segment while centipedes have 2 legs per segment. The location of their legs is also an identifying factor, as millipedes’ legs are tucked under their bodies as opposed to centipedes, whose legs are on the sides of each segment. 

Diet Differences 

While centipedes feast on spiders, worms, and other insects, they paralyze first with their venom. Millipedes feast on decaying plants or other organic matter. They’ll occasionally partake in a live plant or roots, but mostly stick to organic debris, rotting wood, leaf piles, and fungi.

Habitat Differences 

Millipedes prefer to nest in damp, dark spots like leaf litter, mulch, under logs, or rich soil where decaying plants abound. They stay put, quietly munching their way through nature’s leftovers. Although they also like moisture and shade—under rocks, bark, or even basements—centipedes are always on the move, darting after insects and other small prey.

You’re more likely to find a centipede in your basement than a millipede, since their food source is still available to them inside. In fact, if you spot centipedes inside your home, you may consider calling an exterminator. 

Lifecycle Differences

Millipedes have a relatively long lifespan for insects, living anywhere from 5 to 10 years. They hatch from eggs and gradually add body segments and legs through multiple molts as they grow. Centipedes generally have shorter lifespans, ranging from 1 to 6 years, depending on the species. They hatch with most of their legs already developed and grow to full size more quickly. 

Prevention Differences

If you spot enough of either insect to cause concern, there are prevention methods that can help you get rid of centipedes and millipedes and prevent them from coming back. 

Millipede Prevention

The best way to keep millipedes at bay is to eliminate their food source. Check the perimeter of your home for piles of decaying leaves, rotting wood, or mulch near your home’s foundation and clear it out to reduce visits from millipedes. You can seal cracks and gaps around doors, windows, and the foundation to keep them from crawling inside. 

Centipede Prevention

Controlling moisture is key to keeping centipedes from entering your home. You can start by fixing leaky pipes, clearing clutter, and reducing damp areas in basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces that tend to be dark and prone to moisture. Since centipedes are predators, reducing other insects in and around your home will also make it less inviting.