Featherwing Beetle vs Texas Cave Silverfish
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Featherwing Beetle | Texas Cave Silverfish |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Scydosella musawasensis | Texoreddellia texensis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Zygentoma |
| Family | Ptiliidae | Nicoletiidae |
| Size | 0.325 mm | 8-15 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Caves |
| Diet | Fungus Feeders | Fungus Feeders |
| Regions | Central America | United States |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
Featherwing Beetle
The smallest known free-living (non-parasitic) insect at just 0.325 mm long. Discovered in Nicaragua in 1999, it feeds on spores of basidiomycete fungi in rotting wood.
Did You Know?
At 0.325 mm, this beetle is about the width of the period at the end of this sentence — yet it is a fully functional adult insect with complete organ systems.
Texas Cave Silverfish
A troglobitic silverfish endemic to limestone caves in central Texas. It has no eyes and a pale, elongated body.
Did You Know?
The genus Texoreddellia includes several species spread across 160,000 square kilometers of Texas caves.