Silverfish
Lepisma saccharina (commonly called the fishmoth, urban silverfish or just the silverfish) is a small, wingless insect. Typically it is between half an inch and one inch (12–25 mm). Its common name comes from the animal's silvery blue color, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements. The scientific name indicates the silverfish's diet of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches. It belongs to the basal insect order Thysanura, and the species is estimated to have existed for over 300 million years, originating in the Paleozoic Era.[1] Often misidentified as a silverfish is the house centipede, another house-dwelling arthropod that exhibits rapid, fluid movement.
| Lepisma saccharina | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | Thysanura
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| Family: | Lepismatidae
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| Genus: | Lepisma
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| Species: | L. saccharina
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| Binomial name | |
| Lepisma saccharina Linnaeus, 1758
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An eyeless species of silverfish, or a close relative, was discovered in January 2006 in caves in Sequoia National Park, California.
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