Spider-web-associate
Guides
Microphor
Microphor is a genus of small to very small flies in the family Dolichopodidae, subfamily Microphorinae. The genus contains at least 16 extant species distributed across the Palaearctic, Oriental, Nearctic, and potentially Neotropical realms. Females exhibit kleptoparasitic behavior, stealing tiny prey from spider webs. The genus is characterized by specific morphological traits including eyes without ommatrichia, a scutellum with three or more pairs of setae, and distinctive wing venation.
Ranzovius clavicornis
Ranzovius clavicornis is a plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Knight in 1927. It is notable for its kleptoparasitic relationship with the social spider Anelosimus studiosus, inhabiting spider webs to steal captured prey. The species has been recorded scavenging dead insects and exhibits a widespread distribution across North America.