Silverfish vs Tropical Silverfish

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silverfish Tropical Silverfish
Scientific Name Lepisma saccharinum Nicoletia phytophila
Order Zygentoma Zygentoma
Family Lepismatidae Nicoletiidae
Size 10-15mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Indoors Caves
Diet Omnivores Detritivores
Regions Worldwide Central America, Caribbean
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Tropical Silverfish

A soil-dwelling silverfish found in tropical regions and occasionally in caves. It has a slender white body with very long cerci.

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Did You Know?

It has been recorded from caves in Belize despite being primarily a soil species.