Webspinners: Embioptera - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Webspinners And People, Saunders Embiid (oligotoma Saundersii): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS
bark found continents adult
There are about three hundred species of webspinners known worldwide, but it has been estimated that there may be as many as two thousand. There are thirteen species found across the southern United States. Webspinners are found on all continents, except Antarctica. Most species live in tropical or subtropical climates. There are usually very few or no species living on remote islands. Some species have spread to several continents through overseas trade.
Webspinners build their silk galleries on exposed bark or rock surfaces in humid habitats or underneath bark, stones, or leaf litter. Others live in crevices (KREH-vuh-ses) or cracks in bark, soil, rocks, or termite mounds. Galleries are also found on hanging moss in mountain rainforests.
Larval and adult female webspinners feed mostly on vegetable matter, including moss, lichens (LIE-kuhns), dead leaves, and old bark. Adult males do not feed.
No webspinner is listed as endangered or threatened.
Additional Topics
Webspinners are small to medium insects, ranging from 0.06 to 0.78 inches (1.5 to 20 millimeters) in length. They have long, narrow bodies that are usually brown or black in color. Their distinctive head has chewing mouthparts that are directed forward. The antennae (an-TEH-nee), or sense organs, are long and threadlike. They have compound eyes, with each eye having multiple lenses, but no simple …
Webspinners spend most of their lives inside their silk galleries. The galleries maintain a moist environment, provide clear routes to food sources, and serve as shelters from predators (PREH-duh-ters), or animals that hunt other animals for food. The galleries are slightly wider than the webspinners to allow the sensory hairs covering their bodies to remain in constant contact with the walls. Som…
Physical characteristics: Adults measure 0.35 to 0.5 inches (8.9 to 12.7 millimeters) in length. Males have toothed jaws and reddish brown bodies, while the females are chocolate brown. Geographic range: This species is native to north central India but is now widespread throughout the tropical regions of the world, as well as parts of the southern United States and Southeast Asia. Habitat: This s…
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