Silverfish are a fascinating group of insects. Most infamous for invading our homes, they belong to the ancient order Zygentoma. Possessing primitive characteristics, they are believed to have evolved over 400 million years ago. Small and wingless, their scaly bodies taper to a point ending in three distinct appendages.

Silverfish are found all over the globe, and call a broad range of environments home. There are species living in the driest of deserts, where they absorb moisture from the air through their anus in order to survive the conditions. Some are close-knit neighbours of termites and ants, found living amongst them in their mound-like homes. Several species are found in the remote and semi-tropical islands off the east coast of Australia. And lastly, there are numerous that are blind, inhabiting the dark depths of caves and seemingly inaccessible rock cracks.

The identification of silverfish is notoriously difficult as they continuously moult, even following sexual maturity. This perpetual moulting can result in substantial morphological differences amongst individuals of the same species, making taxonomic evaluations tricky.