page_title: Ctenolepisma longicaudata
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Ctenolepisma longicaudata / Description
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Ctenolepisma longicaudata English: Ctenolepisma longicaudata
context_page_description: Ctenolepisma longicaudata, generally known as the gray silverfish, long-tailed silverfish or paper silverfish, is a species of Zygentoma in the family Lepismatidae. It was described by the German entomologist Karl Leopold Escherich in 1905 based on specimens collected in South Africa, but is found worldwide as synanthrope in human housings.
  In recent years, gray silverfish have increasingly become an issue in indoor environments in Europe, especially in newly built houses with a stable climate beneficial for the growth and reproduction of this species. As a food generalist with the ability to digest the cellulose contained in paper and cellulose-based textiles like rayon, Ctenolepisma longicaudata is considered a pest species in cultural heritage institutions like libraries and archives.
context_section_description: The nymphs and adults are slender, agile, fast-moving insects with long, paired antennae and three long appendages at the posterior abdomen: a pair of cerci and the single central epiproct. Apart from the earlies instars, the body is covered with scales, giving the light- to dark greyish animals a glimmering appearance. With their brushes and bristles along the body sides, gray silverfish somewhat resemble the related firebrats.
  The eyes consist of twelve stemmata, which are rather more rounded in early instars.
caption: Close-up view of the head with the eyes consisting of twelve stemmata.
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