Silverfish vs Microcaddisfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silverfish Microcaddisfly
Scientific Name Lepisma saccharinum Hydroptila sparsa
Order Zygentoma Trichoptera
Family Lepismatidae Hydroptilidae
Size 10-15mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Indoors Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Worldwide Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silverfish

A primitive wingless insect with a silvery scaled body and three tail filaments. A common household inhabitant.

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Did You Know?

Has existed in essentially the same form for 400 million years making it one of the oldest surviving insect designs.

Microcaddisfly

One of the smallest caddisflies, with adults only 3-4 mm long. Larvae build tiny purse-shaped cases from silk and algae on submerged rocks.

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Did You Know?

Microcaddisfly larvae build a new case for each instar, and their final pupal case is so small it is barely visible to the naked eye.