102/150: Silverfish and Firebrats Outlived the Dinosaurs!

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae: Thermobia: Thermobia domestica (Packard, 1837)

Zygentoma is a primitive, wingless order of insects encompassing approximately 120 species in 3 families. The evolution of this group can be traced back over 100 million years, having survived multiple ice ages and mass extinction events, including the fall of the dinosaurs! This group is brown or gray, wingless, flattened, covered in hair or scales, with long antennae and 3 filaments (tails) at the end of their abdomen. All Zygentoma are quick on their feet, but lack the ability to jump. Two species are common household pests. The firebrat (Thermobia domestica) prefer hot and humid environments, commonly found around furnaces, fireplaces and hot water pipes. The silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) on the other hand prefers cool and damp places, such as basements and bathrooms. Silverfish and firebrats are nocturnal, and feed on starchy and protein rich household products such as dried cereals, book bindings, wallpaper, glue and fabrics. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: JSTW017-16

nucleotide sequence

———————————————————–TAATTCGAGCAGAACTAGGTCGTCCAGGAAGCCTAATTGGAGACGATCAAATTTATAATGTGATTGTTACAGCTCACGCATTTGTTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTTATACCGATTATAATTGGGGGGTTTGGAAACTGATTAGTCCCATTAATATTAGGAGCACCTGATATAGCTTTCCCACGGTTAAATAATATNAGATTTTGATTNCTACCCCCCTCCTTAACACTNCTATTAATTGGAAGAATTGTAGAGAGTGGTGCGGGAACTGGATGAACTGTTTATCCGCCCCTATCAAGAGCAATTGCTCACGCAGGAGCATCAGTTGACCTTTCCATTTTTTCCCTTCACCTTGCTGGAGTCTCATCCATTCTAGGTGCTGTAAACTTTATTACTACCGTAATTAACATACGAACCCCAGGAATATTTATAGAACGAATCCCCCTCTTTGTCTGATCTGTTGTTATTACCGCAGTACTACTTCTATTATCATTACCAGTATTAGCAGGAGCCATCACTATACTTTTAACAGACCGAAATCTAAATACTTCT—————————————————

amino acid sequence

IRAELGRPGSLIGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRLNNXSFWXLPPSLTXLLIGSIVESGAGTGWTVYPPLSSAIAHAGASVDLSIFSLHLAGVSSILGAVNFITTVINMRTPGMFMERIPLFVWSVVITAVLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNTS—————–

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:ACJ0722