Silverfish. These are in the order Thysanura. They
are wingless, flattened insects with two or three filaments at the rear end of the abdomen. Their antennae
are long and filamentous. Silverfish are gray and their
bodies are covered with scales. They are about 3/4"
long. In buildings they can feed on starch and fabric,
often causing damage to book bindings.
Scorpions. They have eight pairs of legs, with the
pedipalps enlarged for pinching. They also have a
stinger at the tip of the tail, which has six segments. The
stinger is connected to poison glands and can cause a
painful sting. Scorpions usually are found outdoors
under logs and debris, feeding on insects such as
cockroaches, but they may wander indoors at night. No
Florida scorpion is considered poisonous.
House and field cricket. These insects are in the
order Orthoptera. They have long, threadlike antennae.
The hind legs are enlarged for jumping. Females have
a long ovipositor and two merci at the tip of the abdomen; males have only two cerci. Crickets are found
outdoors in plant beds, wood piles and debris. They can
crawl into homes and make a chirping noise by rubbing
their front wings together, which can be annoying to
residents.
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