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Pest Management Priducts Division of CSPA
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Both Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) and Firebrats (Thermobia domestica) are soft bodied and covered with fine scales that are silvery to brown in color. These insects belong to the order Thysanoptera, a name that is derived from the Greek words thysanos (fringe) and oura (tail). Adults are up to 3/4 inch long, flattened from top to bottom, elongated and oval in shape, being broad near the head and tapering toward the rear making them appear "carrot" shaped. There are two long, slender antennae at the head and three long, antennae-like appendages at the rear, one of which is directed straight back and the other two curving outward. On account of this, these insects are sometimes known as "bristletails." These insects can also run very swiftly with a wiggling motion that resembles the swimming action of a fish. The firebrat is quite similar in habits but is generally darker in color with much longer antennae and tail and lacks the silvery sheen of silverfish.