
Community identification
Silverfish (likely)
Ctenolepisma longicaudata
- Order & Family
- Order Zygentoma; family Lepismatidae
- Size
- Adults are typically 10–15 mm long, excluding the tail filaments.
Natural Habitat
Warm, dark, humid places such as bathrooms, basements, wall voids, and stored-paper areas; this individual appears outdoors on masonry.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds on carbohydrates and starches in paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste, textiles, and crumbs; it may also consume mold and dead organic matter.
Behavior Patterns
Fast-running, wingless, and mainly nocturnal; it hides in cracks during daylight and develops gradually through successive molts without a pupal stage.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to people and not known to transmit disease or bite. Indoors, it can damage paper, books, fabrics, and adhesives; ecologically, it helps recycle organic debris.