Subclass Apterygota:
Apterous (wingless) insects, metamorphosis slight or absent.
Order Zygentoma
(zygo = paired; toma = cut; or entoma = insect)
(also known as order Thysanura)
COMMON NAMES: Silverfish, fibrebrats
QUICK DESCRIPTION: Silverfish are wingless insects, with small eyes, chewing mouthparts, long antennae, and three fine "tails". Their flattish bodies are covered in silvery scales. Silverfish like to live in warm damp places, and can be found indoors under sinks, in bathrooms, and in bookshelves. (The Silverfish is Bug-of-the-Month for February.)
MINUTE DETAILS: Small or moderately sized apterygote insect; head with long multi-segmented antennae, compound eyes small or absent, ocelli absent; legs with two to four tarsal segments; abdomen eleven segmented, paired stylii on abdominal segments seven to nine (rarely two to nine); long multisegmented cerci present.
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