''Ctenolepisma'' is a genus of primitive

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s in the order

Zygentoma Zygentoma are an order in the class Insecta, and consist of about 550 known species. The Zygentoma include the so-called silverfish or fishmoths, and the firebrats. A conspicuous feature of the order are the three long caudal filaments. The two ...

, closely related to the

silverfish The silverfish (''Lepisma saccharinum'') is a species of small, primitive, wingless insect in the order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura). Its common name derives from the insect's silvery light grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance ...

and

firebrat The firebrat (''Thermobia domestica'') is a small hexapod (typically 1–1.5 cm), in the order Zygentoma. Habitat Firebrats prefer higher temperatures and require some humidity, and can be found in bakeries and near boilers or fur ...

but less reliant on human habitation, some species being found both indoors and outdoors and some found exclusively outdoors. The genus is distributed nearly worldwide in warm regions.

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

lacks native ''Ctenolepisma'', but is home to

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

Nomenclature

Most authors have historically treated the nomenclatural gender of ''Ctenolepisma'' as feminine, but in 2018 the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

issued a formal ruling (ICZN Opinion 2427) stating the gender of ''Lepisma'' (and all genera with that ending) is neuter, following ICZN Article 30, which resulted in changes to the spelling of several well-known species, including ''Ctenolepisma longicaudatum'' (formerly ''longicaudata'').

Diversity

There are roughly 75 extant species presently recognized as valid in the genus, and one fossil''Ctenolepisma'' - IRMNG
/ref> *''Ctenolepisma abyssinicum'' Mendes, 1982 (

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

) *''Ctenolepisma africanellum'' Wygodzinsky, 1955 (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma algharbicum'' Mendes, 1978 (

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

) *''

Ctenolepisma almeriense ''Ctenolepisma almeriense'' is a species of primitive insect of the order Zygentoma. Members of this species were once attributed to the widespread species ''Ctenolepisma lineatum'' but there are small but consistent differences which mark this ...

'' Molero-Baltanás, Gaju-Ricart & Bach de Roca, 2005 (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) *''Ctenolepisma alticola'' Silvestri, 1935 (

Karakorum Karakorum (Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian Script:, ''Qaraqorum''; ) was the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan dynasty in the 14–15th centuries. Its ruins lie in the ...

) *''Ctenolepisma angustiellum'' Silvestri, 1949 (

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

) *''Ctenolepisma barchanicum'' Kaplin, 1985 (

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

) *''Ctenolepisma basilewskyi'' Wygodzinsky, 1965 (

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

) *''Ctenolepisma boettgerianum'' Paclt, 1961 (

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) *''Ctenolepisma burmanicum'' (Parona, 1892) (

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

)
ynonym: ''Lepisma burmanica'' Parona, 1892/small> *''Ctenolepisma cabindae'' Mendes, 2002d (

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

) *''

Ctenolepisma calvum ''Ctenolepisma'' is a genus of primitive insects in the order Zygentoma, closely related to the silverfish and firebrat but less reliant on human habitation, some species being found both indoors and outdoors and some found exclusively outdoors ...

'' (Ritter, 1910) (

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

)
ynonym: ''Peliolepisma calva'' Ritter, 1910/small> *''

Ctenolepisma ciliatum ''Ctenolepisma ciliatum'' is a species of primitive insect of the order Zygentoma. Described from Spain, it is a common species in subarid habitats of the Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surroun ...

'' (Dufour, 1831) (

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

;

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

;

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

; Iran)
ynonyms: ''Lepisma ciliata'' Dufour, 1831, ''Ctenolepisma fuliginosa'' (Lucas, 1846), ''Lepisma fuliginosa'' Lucas, 1846 *''Ctenolepisma conductrix'' Silvestri, 1918 (

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

) *''Ctenolepisma confalonieri'' Silvestri, 1932 (

) *''Ctenolepisma decellei'' Mendes, 1982 (

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

) *''Ctenolepisma desaegeri'' Mendes, 1982 (

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

) *''Ctenolepisma dewittei'' Mendes, 1982 (

) *'' Ctenolepisma dubitale'' Wygodzinsky, 1959 ( Leeward Island) *''Ctenolepisma dzhungaricum'' Kaplin, 1982 (

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

) *†'' Ctenolepisma electrans'' Mendes, 1998b (Dominican amber) *''Ctenolepisma fasciatum'' (Lucas, 1863) (

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

) doubtful *''Ctenolepisma feae'' Silvestri, 1908 (

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

) *''Ctenolepisma gabuense'' Mendes, 1985 (

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma guadianicum'' Mendes, 1992 (

) *'' Ctenolepisma guanche'' Mendes, 1993 (Canary Islands) *''Ctenolepisma guineense'' Mendes, 1985 (Guinea-Bissau) *''Ctenolepisma gunini'' Kaplin, 1989 (

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

) *''Ctenolepisma halophila'' Kaplin, 1981 (Turkmenistan) *''Ctenolepisma howa'' Escherich in Voeltzkow, 1910 (

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma hummelincki'' Wygodzinsky, 1959 (

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

) *''Ctenolepisma immane'' Mendes, 2004 (

Socotra Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the ''de facto'' control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen’s ...

) *''Ctenolepisma incita'' Silvestri, 1918 (Africa) *'' Ctenolepisma insulicola'' Mendes, 1984 (

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

) *''Ctenolepisma iranicum'' Molero, Kahrarian & Gaju, 2016 (Iran) *''Ctenolepisma kaszabi'' Wygodzinsky, 1970a (Mongolia) *''Ctenolepisma kermanshanum'' Molero, Kahrarian & Gaju, 2016 (Iran) *''Ctenolepisma kervillei'' Silvestri, 1911 (

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

) *''Ctenolepisma kuhitangicum'' Kaplin, 1993 (Turkmenistan) *''Ctenolepisma latisternatum'' Mendes, 1993 (

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

) *''Ctenolepisma lindbergi'' Wygodzinsky, 1955 (Cape Verde) *''

Ctenolepisma lineatum ''Ctenolepisma lineatum'' is a species of insect of the order Zygentoma. It is generally similar to the closely related silverfish but can be distinguished by being rather stouter and less shiny with all appendages ( antennae and 3 "tails") not ...

'' (Fabricius, 1775) – four-lined silverfish (

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

); the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

of the genus ''Ctenolepisma'' *''

Ctenolepisma longicaudatum ''Ctenolepisma longicaudatum'', 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 ...

'' Escherich, 1905 (syn. ''C. urbana'') – grey silverfish (

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

) *''Ctenolepisma madagascariense'' Escherich in Voeltzkow, 1910 (Madagascar) *''Ctenolepisma maroccanum'' Mendes, 1980 (

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

) *''Ctenolepisma nigericum'' Mendes, 1982 (

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

) *''Ctenolepisma nigrum'' (Oudemans in Weber, 1890) (syn. ''Lepisma nigra'') (

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

) *''Ctenolepisma petiti'' (Lucas, 1840) (syn. ''Lepisma petiti'') (

) doubtful *''Ctenolepisma picturatum'' Wygodzinsky, 1955 (South Africa) *''Ctenolepisma pinicola'' Uchida, 1964 (

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

) *''Ctenolepisma pretorianum'' Wygodzinsky, 1955 (South Africa) *''Ctenolepisma przewalskyi'' Kaplin, 1982 (

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

) *''Ctenolepisma roszkowskii'' Stach, 1935 (

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

) *''

Ctenolepisma rothschildi ''Ctenolepisma rothschildi'' is a species of silverfish in the family Lepismatidae. It is found in Africa, Australia, the Caribbean Sea, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, North America, Oceania Oceania (, , ) is ...

'' Silvestri, 1907 (syn. ''C. diversisquamis'', ''C. reducta'') (Africa; Iran) *''Ctenolepisma sabirovae'' Kaplin, 1980 (Turkmenistan) *''Ctenolepisma sagartianum'' Molero, Kahrarian & Gaju, 2016 (Iran) *''Ctenolepisma sanctaehelenae'' Wygodzinsky, 1970b (

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

) *''Ctenolepisma sergii'' Kaplin, 1982 (

) *''Ctenolepisma serranoi'' Mendes, 1985 (syn. ''C. gambiana'') (

) *''Ctenolepisma somaliense'' Mendes, 1988 (

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

) *''Ctenolepisma submagnum'' Silvestri, 1908 (Guinea-Bissau) *''Ctenolepisma subterraneum'' Molero, Tahami, Sadeghi & Gaju, 2018 *''Ctenolepisma sudanicum'' Mendes, 1982 (

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma tanzanicum'' Mendes, 1982 (

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma targionianum'' Silvestri, 1908 (Africa, Americas) *'' Ctenolepisma targionii'' (Grassi & Rovelli, 1889) (syn. ''Lepisma targionii'') (

) *''Ctenolepisma tavaresi'' Navás, 1906 (

) doubtful *''Ctenolepisma tenebricum'' Silvestri, 1949 (

central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma terebrans'' Silvestri, 1908 (South Africa) **''Ctenolepisma terebrans pluriseta'' Silvestri, 1908 (Africa) **''Ctenolepisma terebrans terebrans'' Silvestri, 1908 *''Ctenolepisma turcomanicum'' Kaplin, 1993 (Turkmenistan) *''Ctenolepisma unipectinatum'' Mendes, 1982 (Kenya) *''Ctenolepisma unistila'' Silvestri, 1908 (Cape Verde) *''Ctenolepisma vanharteni'' Mendes, 2004 (Socotra) *'' Ctenolepisma versluysi'' Escherich, 1905 (

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

) *'' Ctenolepisma vieirai'' Mendes, 1981 (

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

) *''Ctenolepisma villosum'' (Fabricius, 1775) (syn. ''Lepisma villosa'') (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Japan,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

) *''Ctenolepisma wahrmani'' Wygodzinsky, 1952 (

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) *''Ctenolepisma weberi'' Escherich, 1905 (South Africa)

Gallery

bh_silverfish01.jpg, ''

'' Ctenolepisma lineata pae.jpg, ''

'' Ctenolepisma villosa eggs day19.JPG, Eggs of ''Ctenolepisma villosum''

References

*
Fauna Europaea
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5191665 Lepismatidae Zygentoma