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*** Note: KnowYourInsects.org does its best to include correct identifications of insect photos. It’s always possible that we made a mistake, however, so if you see a misidentification, please contact us and we will correct it. Thanks!
Order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura): the silverfish and firebrats — Examples
A silverfish in the family Lepismatidae.
□ The iridescence of this lepismatid silverfish shows up well in this photo. People often see them in bathrooms, which is where this one was discovered.
Photographed and identified as a silverfish by: Sarah Park. Identified to family by: KnowYourInsects.org.
Location: Maroua, Cameroon.
Date: 11 September, 2017.
Sarah says, “Looks like a cross between an ant and a tadpole.”
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Thermobia domestica (no common name), family Lepismatidae.
□ The head of this species of firebrat — Thermobia domestica — is to the lower left. One of its three “tails” (called cerci) is visible at the upper right. They like places where it is warm, so they are fond of places like boiler rooms in larger facilities, which is why they are called firebrats. The photographer spotted this one in the emergency room at a hospital.
Photographed by: Lisa Hetchler. Identified to by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Date: 3 April, 2019.
Lisa says, “This little guy was very very quick so I couldn’t get a very good picture.”
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Firebrat, Thermobia domestica, family Lepismatidae.
□ Firebrats are often banded, like this Thermobia domestica, whereas silverfish (shown elsewhere on this page) are usually unbanded. Firebrats are smaller than silverfish, and most are less than a half inch (1.2 cm) long. Note: This species is sometimes listed by a different scientific name: Thermophila furnorum.
Photographed by: Stewart Woods. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Anderson, South Carolina, USA. Date: 8 October, 2018.
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A firebrat, likely the genus Thermobia, family Lepismatidae.
□ Firebrats often show up in a warm places, often in a bathroom (as this one did!). They are speedy little creatures. Note the three “tails” (called cerci) — one that goes straight back and two others that extend to each side.
Photographed by: Ibrahim Hlwani. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Cairo, Egypt. Date: 11 October, 2017.
Ibrahim says, “I found it in my bathtub.”
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A silverfish.
□ Apparently the “fish” part of the name silverfish comes from one of two things: either the teardrop shape of the body, which is rather like the silhouette of some fish; or the wiggly way they move.
Photographed by: Meem Sarkar. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Siliguri, India. Date: 15 September, 2017.
Meem says, “I searched more info about it and found that these insects eat books, and the place where I took the photo of it is just beside my stack of books.”
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A firebrat.
□ Firebrats are generally banded or sometimes mottled with small dark spots (like this one); silverfish are usually silvery without banding or mottling. See the photographer’s comment below.
Photographed and identified by: Arjan Hasani. Location: Copenhagen, Denmark. Date: 31 May, 2019.
Arjan says, “I identified it through your website. Awesome!” KnowYourInsects.org says, “Nicely done, Arjan!”
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Silverfish.
□ The photographer says he has found silverfish in both England and Panama, always in the bathroom. That is a favorite spot for these quick little insects!
Photographed by: Lee Koupal. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Panama. Date: 17 October, 2019.
Lee says, “They are extremely fast. But this one had no where to go as it made its way to the shower and I aced a glass over it.”
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A silverfish.
Photographed and identified by: Anonymous. Location: Piedmont, North Carolina, USA. Date: 4 October, 2020.
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Unless noted otherwise, photographs on this website are the property of the photographers and may not be reused without written permission from the photographers. To obtain permission, request it here.
Photos at the top of this website are by: Leslie Mertz, Ph.D., LMERTZ@nasw.org.
Reproduction of material from any KnowYourInsects.org webpages without written permission is strictly prohibited.
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