bristletail

/bris"euhl tayl'/, n.

any of various wingless insects of the order Thysanura, having long, bristlelike, caudal appendages, comprising the firebrats, silverfish, and machilids.

[1700-10; BRISTLE + TAIL¹]

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▪ insect

      any of approximately 370 species of primitive, wingless insects of the subclass Apterygota that measure from 5 to 20 mm (0.2 to 0.8 inch) in length when they are fully grown and have three slender, bristlelike appendages at the tip of the abdomen. The compound eyes are small and the mouth parts are external. Some species have scales covering the body. Young bristletails resemble adults except in size. Sexual maturity is attained in two to three years, and the life span of some species may be as long as seven years. A bristletail molts as many as 35 times during its life (three to five times per year). Bristletails eat starchy material, often causing damage to books and papers. Bristletail is also the common name for members of the order Archaeognatha, which is now separated from the Thysanura.

      The silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) is a slender, flat, wingless insect with three tail bristles. It is covered with silvery scales and moves quickly. It normally lives indoors and is worldwide in distribution. Because it eats materials containing high percentages of starch (e.g., paste, bookbindings, and wallpaper) it can cause damage to books and fabrics. The antennae and the tail bristles of the silverfish are shorter than the body. Superficially the male resembles the female. Unlike other groups of true insects, which copulate (reproduction), the silverfish performs courtship movements that end with the male depositing a sperm packet, which the female places in her vagina. The oval, whitish eggs are believed to be inserted into cracks and soil litter. The young, which hatch in several days, are scaleless and have short appendages. They molt every few days, gradually acquiring adult features. The silverfish continues to molt throughout the two or more years of its life, even after reaching sexual maturity. If necessary, control is possible with insecticides.

      The firebrat (Thermobia domestica) is typically white with light and dark spots. Its life cycle and habits are similar to those of the silverfish. Its name derives from the fact that it often inhabits warm places such as bakehouses and fireplaces. Insecticides can be used to control firebrat populations.

      The oldest known insect fossil for which there is significant remaining structure (head and thorax fragments) is a bristletail (Archaeognatha), estimated to be 390 to 392 million years old. It was discovered on the north shore of Gaspé Bay, Quebec, Can., at a site that was only 10° above the equator during the Devonian time of this insect.

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