--- title: "Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A wingless, silver-scaled insect that keeps molting as an adult and can go up to a year without food." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/silverfish-1.webp" published: "2026-10-11" updated: "2026-10-11" --- # Silverfish (*Lepisma saccharinum*) > **Status**: Checked against 3 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A wingless, silver-scaled insect that keeps molting as an adult and can go up to a year without food. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Art Pop & Baroque Pop // Laurie Anderson, "O Superman" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/421Gp1eSmOIcD6alTWowFR) > **Vibe Match**: One looped syllable that keeps repeating for over eight minutes, for an insect that keeps molting as an adult and has been recorded molting 25 to 66 times in a lifespan. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Lepisma saccharinum* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Not Evaluated ([IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/)) - **Superpower**: Keeps molting as an adult and can go up to a year without food - **Habitat**: Buildings worldwide, and in southern and central Europe also under stones, bark and leaf litter - **Diet**: Starchy materials such as paper and wood, and the glue in bindings and wallpaper - **Tags**: insect, nocturnal, urban ## Natural History & Behavior ## An Insect That Keeps Molting Silverfish can keep molting throughout their lives, even as adults. Molting means shedding the hard outer layer to grow. Young silverfish molt six to seven times until they reach adulthood. Silverfish have been recorded molting 25 to 66 times in a lifespan. In optimal conditions, a silverfish can keep molting over a lifespan of up to four years. Getting from egg to adult typically takes one year. ## Scales, Bristles and a Silk Date *Lepisma saccharinum* is silver or pearl-gray, with a body covered in tiny glistening scales. Adults are usually 7 to 10 millimetres long and can reach 11 millimetres. The body tapers to the back end, where three long appendages with bristles appear. If a silverfish loses one of these, or an antenna, it can regenerate it in two to four weeks. Most earlier works spell the name *Lepisma saccharina*; a recent naming change altered the ending. Courtship starts with the male and female tapping each other with their antennae. The male then spins a Y-shaped silk structure and leaves a spermatophore, a packet of sperm, near it. The female finds the silk and takes the packet up. Eggs are laid in clutches of seven to twelve. > **A Year Without a Meal** Silverfish are capable of going for long periods of time, up to an entire year, without food. ## The Paper Eater Silverfish prefer starchy materials such as paper and wood. They like glazed paper best, which is paper coated with a starch-rich layer. They are reported to eat the glue behind wallpaper and in book bindings. On paper, they scratch the surface and leave bare or translucent patches, and they can eventually eat holes through it. Silverfish are nocturnal and rarely seen in the daytime unless disturbed. When they are, they dart away quickly. They are usually found indoors in concealed spots such as bathrooms, attics and basements. Adults are frequently found in damp areas, and eggs are laid only in damp conditions. ## From Mediterranean Forests to Your Bathroom The species is found worldwide. A recent revision says it is probably native to the Mediterranean region. In southern and central Europe it lives both inside and outside houses. Outdoors it has been found under stones, rocks, bark and leaf litter, and sometimes in ant nests. In the rest of the world where it has been reported, it occurs as an obligate synanthropic species: there it has been recorded only in human buildings, not in the wild. Neither it nor any other *Lepisma* species has been found in natural habitats in America. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is a silverfish really a fish? No. It is a wingless insect. The name comes from its glistening scales, which people often compare to fish scales. Many species in the order Zygentoma are called silverfish, but the Entomological Society of America gives the official common name to only one of them, Lepisma saccharina. *(Source: [Phillips & Gillett-Kaufman 2018]())* ### How fast do silverfish eggs hatch? It depends on the heat. At around 32 degrees Celsius, eggs can hatch in under 20 days. At around 22 degrees Celsius, hatching can take up to 40 days. *(Source: [Phillips & Gillett-Kaufman 2018]())* ### Is every silverfish in a house this species? Not necessarily. A recent revision of household silverfish says that in most of the range of Lepisma saccharinum, the grey silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudatum seems to be becoming more frequent. Some papers use the name common silverfish for each of them. Because common names can mislead, the authors say to use the scientific name. *(Source: [Molero-Baltanás et al. 2024]())* ### Why do museums worry about silverfish? Museums keep their climate under strict control, and silverfish are often serious pests in such buildings. Libraries and museums are also full of paper books and labels, which the insect eats. *(Source: [Phillips & Gillett-Kaufman 2018]())* ## Sources 1. [Phillips & Gillett-Kaufman (2018). Silverfish Lepisma saccharina Linnaeus (Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae). EDIS.]() 2. [Molero-Baltanás et al. (2024). Worldwide revision of synanthropic silverfish (Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) combining morphological and molecular data. Journal of Insect Science.]() 3. [Pinniger. Pest Fact sheet No 8: Silverfish and grey silverfish. English Heritage.]() *Published October 11, 2026. 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Libraries and museums are also full of paper books and labels, which the insect eats.", "citation": { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Silverfish Lepisma saccharina Linnaeus (Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae)", "url": "https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1211-2018", "author": "Phillips & Gillett-Kaufman", "datePublished": "2018", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "EDIS" }, "identifier": "doi:10.32473/edis-in1211-2018" } } } ] }, { "@type": "MusicRecording", "name": "O Superman", "byArtist": { "@type": "MusicGroup", "name": "Laurie Anderson" }, "genre": "Art Pop & Baroque Pop", "url": "https://open.spotify.com/track/421Gp1eSmOIcD6alTWowFR" } ] } ```