Silverfish

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iLepisma saccharina

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Thysanura
Family:	Lepismatidae
Genus:	Lepisma
Species:	L. saccharina

Binomial name

Lepisma saccharina
Linnaeus, 1758

For other uses, see Silverfish (disambiguation).

Lepisma saccharina (commonly called the fishmoth, urban silverfish or just the silverfish) is a small, wingless insect. Its common name derives from the animal's silvery grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements, while 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 300 million years, originating in the Palaeozoic Era.

An eyeless species of silverfish, or a close relative, was discovered in January 2006 in caves in Sequoia National Park, California.

1 Diet
2 Reproduction
3 Predation
4 Elimination
5 External links

[edit] Diet

The favorite food of silverfish is any matter that contains starch or polysaccharides, such as dextrin in adhesives. These include glue, book bindings, paper, photos, sugar, hair, dandruff, and dirt. Silverfish can also cause damage to books, tapestries, and textiles. Apart from these cases, the damage caused by silverfish is negligible, and they have no direct effect on human health beyond psychological distress to people who dislike them. Other substances that may be eaten include cotton, linen, silk and synthetic fibres, and dead insects or even its own exuvia (moulted exoskeleton). During famine, a silverfish may even attack leatherware and synthetic fabrics. In extreme cases, silverfish may live for several months without feeding.

[edit] Reproduction

Image:Lepisma saccharina.jpg Because of their nocturnal nature, the reproduction of silverfish has only recently been studied. The male lays a spermatophore, a sperm capsule covered in gossamer. Having located the spermatophore via a variety of biochemical signals, the female takes up the spermatohpore for fertilisation, which will then turn into an egg.

[edit] Predation

Earwigs, house centipedes, and in rare cases spiders are known to be predatory upon silverfish.

[edit] Elimination

In buildings, silverfish can only exist in sufficiently humid, crevice-rich environments. If these two conditions are removed, the silverfish will not be able to survive. Other measures that may be taken to eliminate silverfish, at least temporarily, include the following:

A 1:1-ratio dispersion of borax or Boric acid and sugar is a reliable bait to kill silverfish (relatively non-toxic to non-insects).
The scent of a sal ammoniac solution should drive away silverfish within 24 hours.
To capture silverfish, sprinkle plaster on a wet, white cotton cloth, put it in a corner overnight, near the silverfish's hideout. Or trap in small glass containers -- silverfish cannot climb up the smooth inside walls.
Adults can be killed by freezing, but it is difficult to kill the eggs.
By far the most effective way to be rid of Silverfish for sure is to keep an area or room tidy, limiting the possible number of breeding grounds they have.

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