Centipedes are found in a variety of North American environments
A house centipede. House centipedes (Scutigera) are common arthropods with long, flattened, segmented bodies with one pair of legs per segment. The house centipede is up to 1 1/2 inches long and has 15 pairs of very long, almost thread-like, slender legs. Each leg is encircled by dark and white bands.  When house centipedes get inside a home they are usually found in the kitchen, bathrooms, basements, drains or garage and crawl space. It is not uncommon to see house centipedes that were trapped inside a sink or bathtub. House centipedes have long, flattened bodies, which can measure as long as 1-1/2 inches long. The arthropods have 15 segments, and each features one pair of legs. The centipede’s legs are long, slender, and thread-like and have black and white banding. Centipedes are found in a variety of North American environments, from harsh deserts to moist, deciduous forests. Centipedes in the United States are some of the largest of their kind. The sizeable North American centipede (Scolopendra hero) and the Sonoran Desert centipede, can be found in arid wastelands. Centipedes belong to class of Chilopoda. The name centipede, which means “100 legs,” can be somewhat misleading: centipedes may have anywhere from 15 to 177 pairs of legs. Centipedes are elongated, with flat, segmented bodies that contain a pair of legs per segment. Centipedes (from Latin prefix centi- , hundred, and pes, pedis, foot) are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs. Therefore, there is no centipede with exactly 100 legs. Worldwide, there are estimated to be 8,000 species of centipede, of which 3,000 have been described. Centipedes have a wide geographical range where they even reach beyond the Arctic Circle. Centipedes are found in an array of terrestrial habitats from tropical rainforests to deserts. Within these habitats, centipedes require a moist micro-habitat because they lack the waxy cuticle of insects and arachnids, and so lose water rapidly through the skin Outdoor centipedes are generally long, flattened and yellow to brownish in color. They live in moist, protected areas such as under mulch, leaf litter, logs and rocks. Most are active at night. The house centipede is commonly found indoors and has a hairier appearance than centipedes found outdoors.  Centipedes are found throughout the United States and the world. They are typically found in areas of high moisture, such as in rotting logs, under stones, in trash or piles of leaves/grass. When they invade homes, centipedes are most commonly found in damp basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms, or potted plants.  Summary: There are many species of centipedes that range in size from small to very large. They all are have multiple pairs of legs and all are predators. Most centipedes are found outdoors however one, the house centipede, is commonly found indoors. The house centipede is harmless but like any large arthropod can bite. Centipedes are found in a variety of habitats, but prefer dark, moist, protected areas such as under stones, rotted logs, leaves and bark. They overwinter as adults and lay eggs in the soil during the spring and summer. Development is slow, with some species developing through as many as 10 instars, or molts.  Where Centipedes are Found. Centipedes usually live outside, but the House Centipede you can find inside as well. Centipedes usually live outdoors in damp areas such as under leaves, stones, boards, tree bark, or in mulch around outdoor plantings. If they are around the foundation of the house, they may wander inside
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/housece.html http://www.orkin.com/other/centipedes/house-centipede/ http://www.orkin.com/other/centipedes/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/esps/factsheets/household_structural/centipedes_hs48.html http://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/occasional-invaders/centipedes/ http://www.livingwithbugs.com/centipede.html http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B1088 http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/centipede.htm
where are centipedes found