
Community identification
Silverfish
Lepisma saccharina
- Order & Family
- Order: Zygentoma, Family: Lepismatidae
- Size
- 13 to 25 millimeters in length
Natural Habitat
Dark, damp, and humid areas such as bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and attics, often hiding behind baseboards or inside bookcases.
Diet & Feeding
Carbohydrates, starches, sugars, paper, glue, book bindings, wallpaper paste, and occasionally synthetic fibers or proteins like dead insects.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal, fast-running, wingless insects that avoid light and thrive in high humidity environments; they undergo ametabolous development, meaning they grow through simple molting without a larval or pupal stage.
Risks & Benefits
They do not bite or transmit diseases, but they can cause significant property and structural damage to books, paper, clothing, and wallpaper. They provide no notable benefits indoors.