About

General Info

Search Tips

Harmful or Not

Harmful Effects

Common FAQs

Similar Insects

Popular Insects

Home > Four-lined silverfish

Photo By Paethon , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Four-lined silverfish

Ctenolepisma lineata

A species of Ctenolepisma

The four-lined silverfish moves in a rapid, fish-like motion and also has shiny scales on its back. They are harmless to humans, but they will tend to enter houses through cracks and crevices and can get into food stores and feed on paper and clothes as well.

General Info About Four-lined silverfish

Instantly identify insects with a snap

Snap a photo for instant insect ID and risk assessment, gaining quick insights on bite assessment, toxicity, pest control, behavior, habitat, and safe interaction tips, etc.

Download the App for Free

Attributes of Four-lined silverfish

Colors

Brown

Habitat

indoors; outdoors

Adult Food Sources

Carbohydrates (such as starches and sugars), dead insects, dandruff, glue on bookbindings, various books, paper, and clothing materials

Larva Food Source

Carbohydrates (e.g., starches), dead insects, glue, paper, clothing fibers (cotton, linen)

Biting/stinging

Not reported

Allergy-causing

Not reported

Defensive attack

Not reported

Venomous

Not reported

Phytophagous

Not reported

Predatory

Not reported

Biting animal or pet

Not reported

Mouthparts Type

Chewing mouthparts

AI entomologist in your pocket, scan QR code to download

Species Status of Four-lined silverfish

It is native to southern Europe but is now found throughout most of the world as an accidental introduction although it is absent from polar and cooler temperate regions.

Distribution Area of Four-lined silverfish

Europe

Appearance of Four-lined silverfish

It is generally similar to the closely related silverfish but can be distinguished by being rather stouter and less shiny with all appendages (antennae and 3 "tails") noticeably longer. The abdomen is often marked with dark brown lines and the species is sometimes called four-lined silverfish.

How to Identify Four-lined silverfish?

Adult

Life Cycle of Four-lined silverfish

Egg Eggs of four-lined silverfish remain static. Characteristics might include a protective casing, varying color, and size proportionate to the adult. They are often hidden in cracks or soil to avoid predation.

Nymph Nymphs resemble miniature adults without reproductive capability. The absence of wings and smaller size are notable. Nymphs shed their exoskeleton multiple times, increasing in size and maturity with each molt.

Adult Adult four-lined silverfish maintains a similar shape as nymphs but with fully developed reproductive organs. The size is now maximal, and coloration may vary slightly from younger stages. Adults focus on reproduction and survival.

Predators of Adult Four-lined silverfish

Arachnids, ants, centipedes, beetles, birds, reptiles

Interesting Facts About Four-lined silverfish

Four-lined silverfish can live for an unusually long period without food, surviving for several months which is extraordinary for an insect its size.

Scientific Classification of Four-lined silverfish

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Tips for Finding Four-lined silverfish

Your ultimate guide to understanding insects

Unlock the secrets of insect life cycles, habitats, behaviors and observation tips!!

Download the App for Free

Youth Habitat of Four-lined silverfish

Urban and Suburban Areas, Caves and Subterranean Areas, Rotting and Decaying Matter

Adult Habitat of Four-lined silverfish

Urban and Suburban Areas, Caves and Subterranean Areas, Rotting and Decaying Matter

How Can You Attract Four-lined silverfish

For four-lined silverfish, trapping methods often involve using starchy foods or substances containing cellulose as bait.

Habitat Preferences of Four-lined silverfish Through Different Life Stages

The eggs of four-lined silverfish are often found in dark, secluded areas within buildings or under objects, providing a protected environment for incubation. During the nymph stage, four-lined silverfish tends to dwell in similar hidden locations as their eggs, like cracks and crevices, favoring warm spaces near sources of food like starches or glue. To spot these nymphs, one should carefully examine old bookcases, pantries, or storage rooms. As adults, four-lined silverfish roam more freely, however, they still prefer shadows and are most likely to be discovered under appliances, in basements, or undisturbed linen closets when searching for them.

How and Where Can You Find Four-lined silverfish at Different Life Stages

Juvenile Four-lined silverfish in their immature stages resemble smaller versions of the adults and can be found by inspecting dark, moist, and undisturbed areas such as basements, under sinks, and closets where paper or fabric are stored.

Adult Adult four-lined silverfish can be located by setting traps with starchy baits in areas with potential food sources like bookshelves, pantries, and near sources of paper or glue, especially during their peak activity at night.

Are Four-lined silverfish harmful?

Your Complete Pest Control Guide

Discover effective tips for preventing and eliminating pest infestations to keep bugs away from your home.

Download the App for Free

Four-lined silverfish frequently appears in houses and disturbs humans' lives. Four-lined silverfish can also feed on textiles and other goods, causing damage to humans' properties.

Where do Four-lined silverfish come from?

It will actively move to a suitable place. Silverfishes are sensitive to light and temperature. The suitable temperature for growing is 16 - 30 ℃ and the relative humidity is 75-95%. Thus, indoors with abundant food have become excellent living places.

Silverfishes can spread with the removal of utensils. When bookcases, shelves, bookcases, and book bundles are being transported, the hidden eggs, larvae, and adult worms can spread to other places with these carriers. Then they will become storage pests in the new environment.

Silverfishes also like to live in the sewer. If the floor drain and sewer pipes are not sealed, silverfishes will get into the home easily.

What is the most effective prevention against Four-lined silverfish?

Isolate food sources. Seal exposed food in glass or plastic containers. Owing to the extensive recipes of silverfishes, this method can only prevent food from being soiled by silverfishes and cannot stop them from growing.

Control humidity. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to reduce indoor humidity. Avoid the appropriate humidity for growth. Under the unsuitable humidity, silverfishes will be forced to other places for reproduction.

Fill the room with sunlight. Open the floor-to-ceiling windows on sunny days. Do not pull the curtains. Let the sunlight into the room as much as possible.

Repair and fill gaps. Fill the cracks on the wall or floor with products such as seam powder or glass glue.

Dispose of deposits on the ground. Do not stack books, newspapers, draft paper, flyers, or cartons directly on the floor for a long time.

Dispose of soiled clothing. Cleaning the dirty clothes with washing machine in time. Don't leave them in the dirty clothes basket for a long time. If they can't be cleaned in time, please put in a sealed plastic bag to isolate them.

Replace with new wallpaper. The gap created by peeling off the wall of the old wallpaper is an excellent living place for silverfishes. Silverfishes also feed on wallpaper and viscose.

Use a vacuum cleaner. It can effectively remove the tiny food residues that have fallen on the ground. At the same time, silver fishes and their eggs would be removed as well.

How to get rid of Four-lined silverfish?

Notice silverfishes and abnormalities

Finding the trace of silverfishes.
Transparent shed skin of silverfishes.
Suddenly appearing things like small black pepper particles (their manure).
Irregular holes and yellow stains on items such as clothes or wallpaper.

Driveaway silverfishes

Dry books and turn the pages repeatedly. Slapping the books that silverfishes feed on will make it frightened and run away.

Dry clothes. In sunny weather, the clothes can be flipped and dried outdoors, which can not only drive away many kinds of hidden insects but also dehumidify and kill mites.

Clean indoors and outdoors. Clean up moist and rotting items indoors and outdoors. Sweep the barely exposed surface to reduce the spawning habitat and number of spawning.

Use homemade lemon juice spray. Squeeze the lemon juice into clean water. After mixing well, spray on any area where silverfishes appear. This little tip can effectively avoid silverfishes. Except for low persistence, it is highly efficient, completely non-toxic and harmless.

Homemade traps for trapping silverfishes

Use a glass bottle with food inside as a trap. Choose a glass bottle with a smooth inner wall. Wrap the outside with tapes or things that have rough surfaces such as newspapers. Place a small piece of bread in a bottle. Put the device in a dark and wet corner. Silverfishes can climb the rough outer wall, but cannot escape through the smooth inner wall after entering the trap.

Use the wet newspaper as a trap. Roll up the old newspaper and tie the ends with a rope. Don’t tie too tightly. Before falling asleep, wet the newspaper and put the newspaper in the place where silverfishes appear. When waking up in the morning, in order to avoid silverfishes running away, do not open the newspaper and discard or burn them directly.

Several traps can be made at the same time and placed in different places in the home. Repeating this operation for several days in a row can effectively reduce silverfishes in the house.

Buy and use insect viscose board as a trap. Place the purchased one correctly according to the instructions for use. Put the starch-rich food as the bait in the center of the viscose board.

Buy and use cedar shavings. Silverfishes will be scattered by their odor and run out of the room. Due to the scattered wood chips, they should not be put in the place where they could affect public health. It is advised to replace them with new wood chips in a week. Clean debris with a vacuum cleaner.

Buy and use diatomaceous earth. Before falling asleep, sprinkle diatomaceous earth in cabinets, baseboards, and any other place. The next morning, use a vacuum cleaner to dry the powder and the killed silverfishes. Be careful when wearing diatomaceous earth because it may enter the respiratory tract and cause lung irritation.

Buy and use boric acid. Sprinkle boric acid in places where silverfishes are frequented. Due to the toxicity of boric acid, be careful not to inhale while using it. Households with babies or pets should avoid using.

Buy and use scented spice bags. Silverfishes do not like the smell of spices. Besides avoiding silverfishes damaging the clothes, putting a scent bag in the closet and drawer can scent the clothes as well.

Harmful Effects of Four-lined silverfish

Reveal the harmful impacts of diverse insects

Explore the dangers of insects related to toxicity, lethality, human biting, human stinging, pathogenicity, hematophagy, allergenicity, parasitism, etc.

Download the App for Free

Textile Pest

Four-lined silverfish can cause mild to severe damage to household items such as paper and textiles, particularly cotton, linen, and silk. Adults and nymphs may feed on these materials, leading to holes and thinning of fabrics which can result in the costly replacement of household items like clothes and curtains. Their feeding habits can deteriorate the aesthetic and functional quality of infested materials, causing inconvenience and potential economic losses to homeowners.

Nuisance Pests

Four-lined silverfish is considered a nuisance from nymph to adult, invading homes in search of food. These insects can cause mild to severe distress by damaging materials like paper, clothing, and wallpaper. Their invasive nature and destructive feeding habits lead to considerable annoyance for residents.

More Effects of Four-lined silverfish