SILVERFISH (Lepisma sacharina)

APPEARANCE:

The silverfish grows up to about 12mm in length, has a silvery appearance, six legs and three long bristles at the rear end of its body. Silverfish are wingless insects that move across surfaces in a fish-like manner.

BIOLOGY & BEHAVIOUR:

Before females reproduce, they go through unusual mating ritual that consists of three distinct stages. Firstly the male and female face each other, with their antennae quivering against the others. In the second stage, the male runs away and the female chases. Lastly, they stand side-by-side with the male vibrating its tail against the females. The male then lays a sperm capsule that the female takes into her body via her ovipositor to fertilise the eggs.

The female silverfish lays fewer than 60 eggs at a time, which hatch out after about 3 weeks. The young silverfish take around 3 months to reach adulthood, and may then survive for up to 2 or 3 years.

They live in dark, damp areas at floor level, often in basements, bathrooms and kitchens. They have a very broad diet, feeding on starchy, sweet or mouldy foodstuffs, such as breadcrumbs, dried food waste, dead insects or general organic debris.