About Ctenolepisma lineata (Fabricius, 1775)
Ctenolepisma lineata (Fabricius, 1775), commonly called the four-lined silverfish, is a silverfish species belonging to the order Zygentoma. Compared to related silverfish, this species is stouter, less shiny, and has all appendages, including antennae and three "tails", noticeably longer. Its abdomen is often marked with dark brown lines. This species is native to southern Europe, but has been accidentally introduced to and is now found across most of the world, excluding polar regions and cooler temperate areas such as the British Isles. It occurs both indoors and outdoors, and can be a nuisance pest. Recent studies of this species in Europe indicate that geographical variation generated through speciation is substantial enough to justify splitting the group into several separate species. One form from south-eastern Spain has already been formally recognized as the distinct species Ctenolepisma almeriense. Lepisma pilifera Lucas, 1840, which was previously considered a synonym of C. lineata, is now treated as a synonym of Thermobia aegyptiaca (Lucas, 1840).
