Explanation of Names
Lepismatidae Latreille 1802
Numbers
>200 spp. in >40 genera total
Size
up to 19 mm; common spp. 8‒12 mm
Identification
unlike other families in our area, have compound eyes
Habitat
often found indoors in warm, damp environments; the Common Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) is frequently seen in bathrooms and kitchens, whereas the Firebrat (Thermobia domestica) is usually found in basements around furnaces and in insulation around hot water and heating pipes; these and other species also occur outdoors under bark, in leaf litter, caves, ant nests, etc.
Food
starchy foods, cereals, moist wheat flour, glue on book bindings and wallpaper; outdoor individuals eat lichens