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The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in societies across the globe. In many countries in Europe, national lockdowns during the spring of 2020 meant that museums were closed, and maintenance and housekeeping were at a minimum. We compared the insect monitoring data of 15 museums in and around Vienna between the years 2018 and 2022 to see potential effects of the two lockdowns (spring 2020 and winter 2020/21) on insect populations. In Vienna, these changes altered the presence of pests, most notably an increase in silverfish by late spring (March–May 2020). We also found increased numbers of other pest species (notably Tineola bisselliella and Attagenus sp.), though these changes were seen later (June–October 2020). Thylodrias contractus, although found only in one museum, appeared to show decreased numbers during 2020. Storage areas in some of the museums revealed no significant increase in insect catch during the COVID-19 related closures. Since there are rarely visitors in such spaces, the situation did not change much during the closures. Silverfish are shy insects, but they were able to range more freely during the closures in the mostly darkened rooms. The increase of Tineola bisselliella and Attagenus sp. could be a result of reduced cleaning in the first lockdown. In the second lockdown, no significant changes were found. Human activity from staff was much higher compared to the first closure; a second reason could be the time of year, as in the winter period, it is mainly larvae that are active. Increased insect populations remind us that even when museums are unoccupied, they still need monitoring for possible risks from pests. No damage to the objects from the pests was observed in the museums investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 spread globally and, as there was little immunity, quarantine, isolation, and social distancing became widely practiced. As people were restricted to their homes in many countries, public venues, such as museums, galleries, and historic houses, were typically closed. This allowed insect abundance, under changed conditions, to be explored using traps from the Technical Museum, Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg Museum, and Weltmuseum in Vienna. The trap contents reveal an increase in Lepisma saccharinum, the common silverfish, as well as in the Zygentoma Ctenolepisma longicaudatum and C. calvum at some museums. Other insects such as Tineola bisselliella, Anthrenus verbasci, and Attagenus smirnovi, though found in reasonable numbers, did not increase. Museum interiors were likely a little cooler and drier during lockdown, but this difference is too small to explain the increased silverfish activity. The larger rooms were certainly quieter, which allowed insects freedom to range more widely. Nevertheless, museums did not observe increased damage to collections from the larger numbers. The infestations during the closures suggest a need for low level cleaning and regular inspections, with an initial focus examining those areas frequented by insects in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ctenolepisma longicaudatum, an invasive silverfish species, has high tolerance to low humidity and temperatures and has been passively introduced to the majority of European territory. Its presence may cause stress and discomfort to people inhabiting or working the infested areas. In addition, it may cause damage to organic materials, contaminate food and carry microbes. This paper summarizes the available data on its spreading and current distribution of species in Europe and displayed the species is present throughout the continent including Scandinavia. This northward shift of C. longicaudatum might be explained by use of the insulation and central heating to provide optimal climate for the species to establish. The paper also contains updates on the current status of C. longicaudatum in Czechia, United Kingdom, and Ireland, where its first populations were recently detected. Based on the collected data, the spread in the monitored countries continues rapidly, when the domestic settings were the main habitat. Furthermore, the species is often present in accommodation facilities, warehouses, factories, public institutions, shopping malls, archives, museums, and art galleries. Therefore, the study indicates the species may occur everywhere indoors. The paper also highlights an urgent need for establishment of effective pest management strategy and preventive measures. Synanthropic invasive silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudatum, has been recently reported to cause nuisance in the indoor environment in many European countries. To get more details on the species distribution, the species occurrence was monitored by the authors in the countries where establishment of C. longicaudatum has been revealed in the last years. In Czechia, 20 findings from 14 municipalities in eight regions were recorded within the last three years. In the United Kingdom, 49 cases, including the first occurrence in Scotland, were recorded. Five cases were recorded for the Republic of Ireland. Domestic settings were the main habitat in the study countries (50.0% for the Czechia and Ireland and 36.8% for the United Kingdom). Regarding C. longicaudatum control, the standard silverfish strategy fails, and the use of insecticidal baits complemented by dust insecticides was suggested as the most promising approach. To reveal presence of C. longicaudatum in Europe, the search of literature, social platforms and databases on invasive species was conducted. According to these sources, the species is known from majority of European countries, when the high increase of records in recent decade was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]