Clothodidae

Definition

A family of webspinners (order Embioptera) comprising approximately eight genera and twenty-five described species. Members of this family are characterized by the silk-spinning behavior typical of all embiopterans, with adults producing silk from glands on the forelegs to construct protective galleries and retreats. Clothodidae represents one of the more speciose families within this small insect order.

Etymology

Example

Clothodidae includes the genus Clothoda, whose species construct extensive silk gallery systems on tree trunks and rocks in tropical and subtropical regions.

Related Terms

• Embioptera
• webspinner
• silk gland
• gallery
• Notoligotomidae
• Anisembiidae

Usage Notes

Use Clothodidae to refer specifically to this family within Embioptera; contrast with other embiopteran families such as Notoligotomidae and Anisembiidae. The family was established by Tillyard in 1937. As with all family-level names in zoology, Clothodidae is treated as a plural noun grammatically, though it refers to a collective group.