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Family Lepismatidae

The little insects which are known to housekeepers, particularly in the Southern States, as the silver fish, or fishmoths, or slickers, belong to this family. They are covered with scales, usually of a silvery appearance, and have three long antenna-like processes issuing from the end of the abdomen. These insects are often very troublesome household enemies of books, papers, starched clothing, and occasionally stored foods. They also damage the card labels in museums. They move very rapidly, and make active efforts to conceal themselves. They shun the light, and slip from the fingers with ease, the silvery scales coming off, and the insect escapes at the expense of its clothing. In damaging the cloth bindings of books, it is really trying to feed upon the paste with which the cloth is stuck to the boards. Heavily glazed paper is attractive to them, and they will eat the glaze from drafting linen. They are found commonly in old houses in rather damp places, but one of our species seems to prefer the vicinity of fireplaces, crawling rapidly over hot bricks and metal and showing most surprising immunity from the effects of high temperature. They are readily destroyed by a free use of pyrethrum powder.

Nothing is known about their life history. Their eggs have not been described, and of the number of molts and the rapidity of development we are absolutely ignorant. None of these points ought to be especially difficult to ascertain.

Ten or more species occur in the United States, and those which are not found in houses are generally found in decaying wood.