''Ctenolepisma lineatum'' is a species of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

of 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 t ...

. It is similar to the closely related

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 appearanc ...

but can be distinguished by being rather stouter and less shiny with all the appendages ( antennae and 3 "tails") being noticeably longer. The

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

is often marked with dark brown lines and the species is sometimes called four-lined silverfish. This species is native to southern

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

but is now found throughout most of the world, aside from polar and cooler

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

regions (e.g. the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

), as an accidental introduction. It is found both indoors and outdoors and can be a nuisance pest. Recent studies on this species in Europe suggest that, due to speciation, there is enough geographical variation to justify splitting into several species, with one form already having been given specific status as '' Ctenolepisma almeriense'' from south-eastern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. ''Lepisma pilifera'' Lucas, 1840, which was considered a synonym of ''C. lineatum'', is now treated as a synonym of '' Thermobia aegyptiaca'' (Lucas, 1840).

References

*
Fauna EuropaeaPicture
Lepismatidae Insects described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Insects of Europe {{Thysanura-stub