Firebrat
≈ 2 min read
Names in other languages
No names in other languages are held for this entry yet.
Article bodies are English and are not machine-translated. A name in another language is not a translation of the article.
The firebrat (Thermobia domestica) is a small insect (typically 1–1.5 cm) in the order Zygentoma. They look similar to the related silverfishes, but are distinguished by their habit of living in warm regions of homes, of which they get their name.
The firebrat (Thermobia domestica) is a small insect (typically 1–1.5 cm) in the order Zygentoma. They look similar to the related silverfishes, but are distinguished by their habit of living in warm regions of homes, of which they get their name.
Behavior
Historically, it had been assumed that communal behavior in firebrats was induced by pheromones, though this is contested. Modern research suggests communal behavior stems from microbes and fungi found in the feces of other firebrats.
Breeding
At 1.5 to 4.5 months of age the female firebrat begins laying eggs if the temperature is right (32–41 °C or 90–106 °F). It may lay up to 6000 eggs in a lifetime of about 3–5 years. After incubation (12–13 days), the nymphs hatch. They may reach maturity in as little as 2–4 months, resulting in several generations each year.
Meiosis
The sequential changes occurring during the prophase I stage of meiosis in T. domestica ovaries have been described in detail.
References
External links
Silverfish and Firebrats, Kansas State University (via archive.org)
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1345689750 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.