Webspinners

Pronunciation
/WEB-spin-erz/
Category
Taxonomy
Singular
webspinner
Plural
webspinners

Definition

for insects of the order , a small group of mostly tropical and subtropical characterized by silk-producing glands on the forelegs used to spin extensive silk galleries in which they live and forage. Webspinners have elongate flexible bodies, short legs, and winged males; females and nymphs are always wingless. The silk galleries protect against desiccation and and allow colonies to expand across substrate surfaces.

Etymology

From the habit of spinning silk web galleries using specialized foreleg glands.

Example

Oligotoma nigra, a common webspinner in the southwestern United States, spins silk-lined galleries under rocks and bark where colonies of dozens of individuals may reside.

Synonyms

  • footspinners
  • embiids

Related Terms

Usage Notes

The term refers specifically to the order , not to spiders or other silk-producing . 'Footspinners' is an older synonym emphasizing the foreleg spinning . Webspinners are frequently overlooked in field surveys due to their concealed gallery-dwelling habit.