Silverfish

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.

 

The body of a silverfish is approximately 10 mm long, excluding the antennae and caudal furcae. The metallic sheen is due to silvery scales, which only appear after the third moult.

 

Silverfish require between four months and three years to grow from an egg to an adult. Silverfish may live up to eight years, and moult up to eight times. Under favorable conditions, silverfish may moult up to four times per year. At temperatures between 25 and 30 °C, females lay clutches of about one hundred eggs, usually in a crevice. If conditions are too cold or dry, silverfish cannot reproduce.

 

 

For more information go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverfish