Common Silverfish

Common Silverfish

Lepisma saccharinum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10%

10 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
8 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Common 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 of its movements. The scientific name (L. saccharinum) indicates that the silverfish's diet consists of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches. While the common name silverfish is used throughout the global literature to refer to various species of Zygentoma, the Entomological Society of America restricts use of the term solely to Lepisma saccharinum.

The silverfish is a nocturnal insect typically 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. Its abdomen tapers at the end, giving it a fish-like appearance. The newly hatched are whitish, but develop a greyish hue and metallic sheen as they get older. It has two long cerci and one terminal filament at the tip of the abdomen between the cerci. It also has two small compound eyes, although other members of Zygentoma are eyeless, such as the family Nicoletiidae.

The silverfish, like other species in Apterygota, is wingless. It has long antennae, and moves in a wiggling motion that resembles the movement... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minsk 🇧🇾 Belarus
~10%
2 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Paris 🇫🇷 France
~10%
4 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
5 Madrid 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
6 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
7 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
8 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
9 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
10 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Silverfish in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Silverfish sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 568th most-seen of the 851 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Silverfish in Los Angeles?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Silverfish in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Common Silverfish?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Silverfish sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Common Silverfish?

34th of 34

Of the 34 cities where we can rate Common Silverfish sightings, Los Angeles ranks 34th at under 5%. The best odds are in Minsk (Belarus, about 10%), Berlin (Germany, about 10%) and Paris (France, about 10%).

Where does the Common Silverfish sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Silverfish is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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