Try for Free
tab list
Picture Insect
English
arrow
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية
Home Application Download FAQ
English
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية
Icon about
About
Icon about
General Info
Icon about
Search Tips
Icon about
Harmful or Not
Icon about
Harmful Effects
Icon about
Common FAQs
Icon about
Similar Insects
Icon about
Popular Insects
Silver fish

Silver fish

Lepisma saccharina

A species of Lepisma, Also known as Common silverfish, Fishmoth

Silver fish love to eat starchy material, cellulose, and glue - components commonly associated with paper and wood products - making them a major pest in households, museums, and libraries. Their common name comes from the shiny, fish-like scales on their body. The essential oil of Japanese cedar wood acts as a repellant for silver fish.

General Info About Silver fish
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
Rectangle
Attributes of Silver fish
Adult Food Sources
Sugar, hair, dander, dead plants and insects, cereals
Larva Food Source
Carbohydrates (e.g., starches and dextrin), proteins (e.g., dead insects), glue in book bindings, paper, cotton
Biting/stinging
Not reported
Allergy-causing
Not reported
Defensive attack
Not reported
Venomous
Not reported
Non-poisonous
The Silver fish is non-toxic and generally doesn't pose a risk to human health. No need for excessive worry.
Borer
The Silver fish can bore into the wood and may damage its structure, or even harm the health of trees. Stay alert if you frequently observe it in your house.
Pollinator
Not reported
Pest-Eating Predatory
Not reported
Phytophagous
The Silver fish feeds on plants, usually without causing significant harm. However, it's important to take the situation seriously if their numbers begin to increase significantly.
Predatory
Not reported
Biting animal or pet
Not reported
qrcode
Img download isoImg download android
Rectangle
Species Status of Silver fish
It is found in Africa, the Americas, Australia, Eurasia, and other parts of the Pacific.
Rectangle
Distribution Area of Silver fish
Africa, Americas, Australia, Eurasia, parts of the Pacific
Rectangle
Appearance of Silver fish
Its common name derives from the animal's silvery light grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements. Silver fish are nocturnal insects typically 1.3 - 2.5 cm long. Their abdomens taper at the end, giving them a fish-like appearance. Like other species in Apterygota, silver fish are completely wingless. They have long antennae, and move in a wiggling motion that resembles the movement of a fish. The eggs are oval-shaped, whitish, about 0.8 mm long. A silver fish usually lays fewer than 100 eggs in her lifetime. The nymphs are whitish in colour, and look like smaller adults. As they moult, young silver fish develop a greyish appearance and a metallic shine.
ImageImageImageImageImage

How to Identify Silver fish?

Rectangle
Life Cycle of Silver fish
Egg The silver fish begins life as an egg, which is usually oval and initially soft, becoming harder and darker over time. It is relatively small and often deposited in safe, hidden locations.
Nymph Upon hatching, the immature silver fish resembles the adult but is smaller, lacks functional reproductive organs, and has a paler color. As it grows, it molts multiple times, gradually increasing in size.
Adult The adult silver fish possesses a silverfish-like appearance with metallic scales, is capable of swift movement, and has fully developed reproductive organs. Adults continue to molt throughout their lives, unlike most other insects.
Rectangle
Adult Size of Silver fish
9 - 13 mm
Rectangle
Predators of Silver fish Larvae
Frogs, toads, spiders, centipedes, insectivorous mammals
Rectangle
Predators of Adult Silver fish
Frogs, toads, spiders, centipedes, insectivorous mammals, birds, lizards
Rectangle
Scientific Classification of Silver fish
Tips for Finding Silver fish
Your ultimate guide to understanding insects
Unlock the secrets of insect life cycles, habitats, behaviors and observation tips!!
Download the App for Free
Rectangle
How Can You Attract Silver fish
Since silver fish are attracted to starches, sugars, and other carbohydrates, bait such as small amounts of flour, oats, or paper could serve as effective traps.
Rectangle
Habitat Preferences of Silver fish Through Different Life Stages
The eggs of silver fish are often tucked away in tiny crevices or under objects in warm, humid environments indoors. As silver fish nymphs, they favor similar surroundings, scavenging for food in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements where starch or sugary residues are present. Adult silver fish, maintaining their preference for warmth and moisture, are typically found in dark, secluded areas, such as behind baseboards, in bookshelves, closets, or storage boxes. To seek them out at different stages, one would search crevices and isolated spots where humidity is high and food sources like paper, glue, or dead skin cells are accessible.
Rectangle
When is the Best Time to Observe Silver fish
The best time to find silver fish is during the night or in dark conditions, as they are nocturnal and avoid light.
Rectangle
What is the Best Weather to Observe Silver fish
Silver fish thrive in humid conditions, so search efforts may be more fruitful during or after periods of high humidity within a home or building.
Rectangle
How and Where Can You Find Silver fish at Different Life Stages
Juvenile Silver fish in their immature stages are usually smaller but look similar to the adults. They can be found in dark, humid places like bathrooms, basements, and underneath sinks. Inspecting these areas late at night can lead to discoveries.
Adult Silver fish adults can be spotted by looking in areas where paper, clothing, or dry foods are stored, as they consume these materials. Searching at night when silver fish are most active, using a flashlight, and checking behind furniture or in crevices can help locate them.
Are Silver fish 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

Silver fish frequently appears in houses and disturbs humans' lives. Silver fish can also feed on textiles and other goods, causing damage to humans' properties.

Rectangle

Are Silver fish harmful to humans?

Cause sensitization. The habit of silver fish makes it less exposed to pathogens than other domestic pests. But the dust on it is easy to cause allergies in allergic people.
Damage to property. Silver fish can eat bookbinding glue, carpets, paper, photos, wallpaper, plaster sculptures, leather products, clothes made of linen or silk or other synthetic fibers, and it even feeds on paint.
Bother humans frequently. Silver fish often appears in human living areas. Even in urban areas, it can be found easily in the attic, basement, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, dining room, garage, classroom.
Image
Rectangle

Where do Silver fish come from?

It will actively move to a suitable place. Silver fish is 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.
Silver fish 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 it will become a storage pest in the new environment.
It also likes to live in the sewer. If the floor drain and sewer pipes are not sealed, silver fish will get into the home easily.
Image
Rectangle

What is the most effective prevention against Silver fish?

Isolate food sources. Seal exposed food in glass or plastic containers. Owing to the extensive recipes of silver fish, this method can only prevent food from being soiled by silver fish and cannot stop it growing.
Control humidity. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to reduce indoor humidity. Avoid the appropriate humidity for growth. Under the unsuitable humidity, silver fish will be forced to other places for reproduction.
Image
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.
Image
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 it. Silver fish also feeds 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 fish and its eggs would be removed as well.
Image
Harmful Effects of Silver fish
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
Rectangle
Textile Pest

Silver fish prefer starchy materials and may feed on wallpaper glue, book bindings, and photos. While not as damaging to textiles as other pests, they can affect items with high cellulose content, and their presence often signals a broader infestation. Fabric damage is generally mild unless items are left undisturbed for long periods.

Rectangle
Structural Pests

Silver fish is acknowledged as a structural pest that can cause damage ranging from mild to severe. This insect's ability to chew through materials like wallpaper, books, and textiles heralds its reputation for damaging household objects. The adults and nymphs share similar destructive feeding habits, which can result in significant losses over time, especially in moist environments. Additionally, they can tarnish the aesthetic and structural integrity of infested items, causing inconvenience and potential financial burden to property owners.

More Effects of Silver fish

Other Popular Insects
Western honey bee
Western honey bee

Western honey bee(Apis mellifera) is the most common species of honeybee in the world. Among the first domesticated insects, its cultural and economic impact on humanity has been vast and far-reaching, providing honey, wax and its services as a pollinator. Western honey bee faces challenges worldwide, such as colony collapse disorder, and populations are thought to be decreasing.

Read More
Arrow
Monarch butterfly
Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is the most recognizable butterfly in North America. It is best known for its appearance, but should be better known for the fact that it has a 3000-mile migration that takes the butterfly 4 generations to complete. Their diet is also a natural deterrent for predators, as they eat milkweed, a poison that induces vomiting.

Read More
Arrow
Japanese rhinoceros beetle
Japanese rhinoceros beetle

The japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) is a massive beetle about the size of the palm of a hand. It's distinguished by its long Y-shaped horn, which it uses to fight other males with. It's a nocturnal bug that feeds on sap and sweet fruits. This species is sometimes kept as a pet due to its unique appearance and simple care requirements.

Read More
Arrow
Silkworm
Silkworm

The silken threads produced by silkworm during its larval stage have been highly coveted for millennia, manifesting as a luxurious fabric in human society. Remarkably, this creature has a singular diet, feeding exclusively on the leaves of its primary host plant from which it extracts the necessary nutrients to facilitate its transition into a non-feeding, winged adult.

Read More
Arrow
Menelaus blue morpho
Menelaus blue morpho

Menelaus blue morpho (Morpho menelaus) is a gorgeous butterfly with large, royal blue wings. Linnaeus named the genus Morpho the Aphrodite-Ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty for its extreme beauty. It is native to tropical rainforests. Though many butterfly gardens now cultivate them in captivity, there are still many people who never get a chance to see them.

Read More
Arrow
Atlas moth
Atlas moth

While the atlas moth (Attacus atlas) can't tell you where to find your country on the map, it does earn its name through other means. It is one of the largest moths in the world, with a wingspan that is far larger than its body, creating an abnormal comparison. In India, their silk is gathered in a non-commercial capacity and is considered to be more durable than the domestic silkworm.

Read More
Arrow
Flying peacock spider
Flying peacock spider

Both sexes reach about 5 mm in body length. Females and immatures of both sexes are brown but have color patterns by which they can be distinguished from related species. Also, the males dance to attract females.

Read More
Arrow
Multicolored asian ladybeetle
Multicolored asian ladybeetle

Often confused for the ladybug, multicolored asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) is a separate species that, unlike the ladybug, is a household pest. It is considered particularly annoying for its habit of returning to places from which it is removed. One of the most variable species in the world, there are many different colors and patterns multicolored asian ladybeetle may display, making identification potentially difficult.

Read More
Arrow