Lepisma (Silver fish)

The genus Lepisma comprises primitive insects that belong to the family Lepismatidae and order Zygentoma.

The silverfish (L. saccharinum), the most well-known species in the genus Lepisma, is a worldwide species that prefers moist environments, hides in cracks, and is typically found in human homes. In some cases, it can become a household annoyance. Although several species of Zygentoma are referred to by the general title “silverfish” in international literature, the Entomological Society of America only permits the term to be used for Lepisma saccharinum.

Contents hide

1) Classification of Lepisma

2) Habit and habitat

3) Distribution

4) Comments on Lepisma

5) Economic value

6) Identification

Classification of Lepisma

Phylum	Arthropoda	Jointed appendages.
Class	Insecta	3 pairs of legs.
Sub-class	Pterygota	Wingless insects.
Order	Zygentoma	Body covered with small scales.
Genus	Lepisma	Silver Fish

Habit and habitat

Lepisma is a common household pest, hiding in damp cool places like basements, in books, under pictures, clothes and wall-paper, etc., and feeding on starch, starched cloth, paste or glue of book bindings. It is a fast runner insect.

Distribution

It is found allover Asia, Europe and U.S.A.

Comments on Lepisma

Commonly known as silver fish.
It is a delicate, glistening silver white and fish-shaped insect, which avoids light.
Adults are primitively wingless.
Animal measures 1.25 cm in length and is divided into head, thorax and abdomen.
Body surface is covered with loosely attached scales.
Head contains a pair of long many jointed antennae and a pair of compound eyes.
Antennae joints are incapable of independent movement and it abdominal moves as a whole upon its base.
Mouth parts adapted for biting. Thorax has 3 pairs of small walking legs present.
Abdomen has 11 segments with a pair of small appendages, a pair of many jointed and Cerci and a median many jointed telson. appendages analcercus telson.
Development epimorphic, i.e., the number of post-cephalic segments increases by proliferation in the hind part of the body following the first embryonic stages, but becomes fixed during the embryonic period. Thus the animal hatches from the egg with the adult number of segments.

Economic value

Silver fishes cause considerable damage to the books and clothing by chewing off the starch, sizing or any other articles containing glue.

Identification

Since the specimen has silvery white body and all above characters, hence it is Lepisma.

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