Web-dwelling
Guides
Stenolemus lanipes
thread-legged bug
Stenolemus lanipes is a thread-legged bug in the subfamily Emesinae, characterized by its slender, elongated legs adapted for life on spider webs. This species exhibits highly specialized predatory behavior, feeding almost exclusively on spiders. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that S. lanipes will refuse alternative prey such as Drosophila even when starved, indicating an obligate association with spider predation. The species was described by Wygodzinsky in 1949 and has been recorded from North America.