Silverfish vs Alabama Cave Silverfish

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silverfish Alabama Cave Silverfish
Scientific Name Lepisma saccharinum Speleonycta sp. nov. Alabama
Order Zygentoma Zygentoma
Family Lepismatidae Nicoletiidae
Size 10-15mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Indoors Caves
Diet Omnivores Fungus Feeders
Regions Worldwide United States
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Silverfish

A primitive wingless insect with a silvery scaled body and three tail filaments. A common household inhabitant.

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Did You Know?

Has existed in essentially the same form for 400 million years making it one of the oldest surviving insect designs.

Alabama Cave Silverfish

A recently described cave silverfish from northern Alabama caves. It is completely blind and unpigmented, representing a new genus.

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Did You Know?

It was described in 2024, showing that new cave species are still being found in well-explored regions.