Common Acerentomid vs Gray Silverfish

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Acerentomid Gray Silverfish
Scientific Name Acerentomon doderoi Ctenolepisma longicaudatum
Order Protura Zygentoma
Family Acerentomidae Lepismatidae
Size 0.5-1.5 mm 10-15 mm
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Common Acerentomid

A tiny eyeless proturan found in forest soils across Europe. It walks on only four legs, holding its forelegs forward as antennae.

💡

Did You Know?

Proturans are the only hexapods that add body segments as they molt, starting with nine abdominal segments and gaining three more.

Gray Silverfish

An invasive silverfish species spreading rapidly through northern Europe. It is larger and more uniformly gray than the common silverfish.

💡

Did You Know?

It has become a major household pest in Scandinavia since the 2000s.