Embioptera

Definition

An order of small, soft-bodied insects in the subclass Pterygota, commonly called webspinners or footspinners. Adults have elongate, flexible bodies with short legs; only males typically possess wings. The group is distinguished by unique silk glands located on the swollen basal tarsomeres of the forelegs, used to spin silk-lined tunnels and galleries in soil, leaf litter, bark crevices, or under stones. These tunnels serve as protective retreats and microclimate buffers. Embioptera are predominantly tropical and subtropical, with approximately 400 described species in 11 families. Fossil evidence dates the order to the mid-Jurassic.

Etymology

From Greek embi- (living in) + ptera (wings), referring to their cryptic lifestyle and winged males.

Example

Male webspinners (order Embioptera) disperse by flight to find mates, while wingless females remain within their silk galleries, expanding the tunnel system as they feed on decaying plant material.

Synonyms

• Embiodea
• Embiidina
• Webspinners
• footspinners

Related Terms

• Pterygota
• Neoptera
• Polyneoptera
• silk gland
• tarsomere
• Apterous
• brachypterous
• gallery

Usage Notes

The order has undergone several name changes in the literature (Embioptera, Embiodea, Embiidina), with Embioptera now widely preferred. The foreleg silk glands are autapomorphic—no other insects possess silk-producing structures on the legs. Species identification is challenging due to morphological uniformity; males are required for reliable taxonomy because females are wingless and show reduced diagnostic characters. The group is often overlooked in biodiversity surveys due to their cryptic habits.