Lepismatidae

Lepismatidae is a family of primitive wingless insects with about 190 described species. This family contains the two most familiar members of the order Zygentoma: the silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) and the firebrat (Thermobia domestica). It is one of five families in the order Zygentoma.

Lepismatidae
Temporal range:
Silverfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Zygentoma
Family: Lepismatidae
Latreille, 1802

Lepismatids are elongated, flattened insects, the majority of which are scavengers. The abdomen is usually clothed in tiny scales and terminates with three "tails" of roughly equal length. The compound eyes are small and well separated.

They typically live in warm, damp environments, including indoors. They avoid light.[1]

Parasites

Member of the Strepsiptera family Mengenillinidae exclusively parasitise members of Lepismatidae. Host-species relationships include: Eoxenos laboulbenei on Tricholepisma aureum, Neoasterolepisma wasmanni and N. palmonii; Mengenilla parvula on Sceletolepisma michaelseni; Mengenilla nigritula on Ctenolepisma ciliatum and Ctenolepisma sp.; Mengenilla laevigata, M. quasita, M. spinulosa and M. subnigrescens on C. lineatum; and an unidentified species of Strepsiptera on Mormisma peyerimhoffi.[2]

Parasitic Apicomplexa are often found in the intestinal tract, especially the crop, of Lepismatidae. Ctenolepisma lineatum contains on average 15 parasite specimens per animal.[3] Several species of gregarine parasites have been recorded from the intestinal tract of the gray silverfish:[2]

Lepismatidae speciesgregarine parasites
Acrotelsa collarisColepismatophila watsonae, Garnhamia aciculata, Lepismatophila thermobiae
Ctenolepisma calvumColepismatophila burti, Garnhamia aciculata, Lepismatophila orientalis
Ctenolepisma lineatumLepismatophila parva, Lepismatophila ctenolepismae
Ctenolepisma longicaudatumGarnhamia aciculata, Lepismatophila ctenolepismae
Ctenolepisma nigrumColepismatophila buckleyi, Lepismatophila orientalis
Ctenolepisma sp.Garnhamia aciculata, Lepismatophila cornwalli
Lepisma saccharinumGregarina lagenoides, Lepismatophila thermobiae, unidentified Colepismatophila species and Gregarinidae species
Thermobia domesticaColepismatophila watsonae, Lepismatophila thermobiae and an unidentified Gregarinidae species

Genera

These genera belong to the family Lepismatidae:[4][5][6][7]

  • Acrotelsa Escherich, 1905
  • Acrotelsella Silvestri, 1935
  • Afrolepisma Mendes, 1981
  • Allacrotelsa Silvestri, 1935
  • Anallacrotelsa Mendes, 1996
  • Anisolepisma Paclt, 1967
  • Apteryskenoma Paclt, 1952
  • Asiolepisma Kaplin, 1989
  • Ctenolepisma Escherich, 1905
  • Desertinoma Kaplin, 1992
  • Gopsilepisma Irish, 1990
  • Hemikulina Mendes, 2008
  • Hemilepisma Paclt, 1967
  • Heterolepisma Escherich
  • Hyperlepisma Silvestri, 1932
  • Lepisma Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lepismina Gervais, 1844
  • Lepitrochisma Mendes, 1988
  • Leucolepisma Wall, 1954
  • Mirolepisma Silvestri, 1938
  • Monachina Silvestri, 1908
  • Mormisma Silvestri, 1938
  • Namibmormisma Irish, 1989
  • Namunukulina Wygodzinsky, 1957
  • Nebkhalepisma Irish, 1989
  • Neoasterolepisma Mendes, 1988
  • Ornatilepisma Irish, 1989
  • Panlepisma Silvestri, 1940
  • Primacrotelsa Mendes, 2004
  • Prolepismina Silvestri, 1940
  • Psammolepisma Irish, 1989
  • Sabulepisma Irish, 1989
  • Sceletolepisma Wygodzinsky, 1955
  • Silvestrella Escherich, 1905
  • Stylifera Stach, 1932
  • Swalepisma Irish, 1989
  • Thermobia Bergroth, 1890
  • Tricholepisma Paclt, 1967
  • Xenolepisma Mendes, 1981
  • † Burmalepisma Mendes & Poinar, 2008 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
  • † Cretalepisma Mendes & Wunderlich, 2013 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
  • † Onycholepisma Pierce, 1951
  • † Paracrotelsa Paclt, 1967
  • † Protolepisma Mendes & Poinar, 2013 Dominican amber, Miocene

References
  1. Eric Tentarelli (2012). A Guide to Insects. Blackwell. p. 128.
  2. Paclt, Jiří (1967). "Thysanura Fam. Lepidotrichidae, Maindroniidae, Lepismatidae". Genera Insectorum (in French). 218: 1–86.
  3. Lasker, Reuben; Giese, Arthur C. (1956). "Cellulose digestion by the silverfish Ctenolepisma ciliata". Journal of Experimental Biology. 33 (3): 542–553.
  4. "Lepismatidae". Animal Diversity. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  5. "Lepismatidae Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  6. "Lepismatidae". GBIF. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  7. "Family Lepismatidae information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2020-01-26.


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