Silverfish

Scientific Name: Lepisma saccharina

Order & Family: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae

Size: 12–19 mm (0.5–0.75 in)

Dark, damp, or humid areas such as basements, bathrooms, and attics

Starches and polysaccharides; consumes paper, book bindings, adhesive, and certain fabrics

Nocturnal and extremely fast runners; they undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis and can live up to eight years

Generally harmless to humans but considered a pest due to their destruction of books, wallpaper, and household items

Identified on: 5/23/2026