Gray Silverfish vs Primitive Silverfish

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gray Silverfish Primitive Silverfish
Scientific Name Ctenolepisma longicaudatum Tricholepidion gertschi
Order Zygentoma Zygentoma
Family Lepismatidae Lepidotrichidae
Size 10-15 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Omnivores Wood Feeders
Regions Europe United States
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Gray Silverfish

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

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Did You Know?

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

Primitive Silverfish

The most primitive living silverfish, restricted to old-growth forests of northern California. It retains compound eyes and other ancestral features.

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Did You Know?

It is considered a living fossil and the sole surviving member of its family.