Food preferences of Ctenolepisma longicaudata

Silverfish are tenacious and destructive household pests, yet in research they are often ignored, despite being as ubiquitous as more heavily researched pests like ants and cockroaches. Current baits, called Dekko paks, seem to be ineffective at treating a silverfish infestation. Other pesticides are labeled for silverfish, but have not been tested in an unbiased laboratory setting. A series of choice tests were completed for the silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Thysanura: Lepismatidae) These choice tests compared both carbohydrate- and protein-rich foods. These tests were carried out in plastic petri dishes with Tygon tubing connecting a central dish to ten surrounding dishes, with nine each containing a different food and one being empty. Five silverfish were placed in the arena at a time, and the amount of time they spent eating each food was recorded for one hour. The time the silverfish spent eating the food was summed for sixteen tests, and times were compared statistically. Silverfish displayed a significantly high preference for egg noodles and turkey jerky dog treats. This finding is interesting, because the literature tends to indicate a preference for carbohydrates over proteinaceous foods, whereas these results indicated an equal preference between the two. It is hoped that this information can be used to develop baits and evaluate their chemosensory capabilities.