Cellulose-feeding
Guides
Ctenolepisma longicaudatum
gray silverfish, long-tailed silverfish, paper silverfish
Ctenolepisma longicaudatum is a synanthropic silverfish species first described from South Africa in 1905, now distributed worldwide in human dwellings. It has become a significant indoor pest in Europe since the early 2000s, particularly in newly constructed buildings with stable climates. The species damages cellulose-based materials including books, documents, and textiles, and can survive extended periods without food.
Heterotermitidae
Typical Subterranean Termites, Subterranean Termites
Heterotermitidae, commonly known as subterranean termites, is a family of termites elevated from subfamily Heterotermitinae (formerly in Rhinotermitidae) based on 2024 cladistic analyses. The family is sister to Termitidae, together forming the clade Geoisoptera. It includes economically significant genera Reticulitermes, Heterotermes, and Coptotermes, with C. formosanus alone causing over $2.2 billion in annual damages in the United States. Members forage through soil and construct mud tubes to access wood resources.