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Order - EMBIOPTERA
(Greek,
embio
= lively;
pteron
= wing)
Common Names:
web-spinners, foot-spinners
Distribution:
Tropics and warm temperate regions
Description
Superficially, embiopterans or web-spinners resemble
termites
. However, web-spinners do not utilise solid wood (such as fallen logs) as a food source although they do attack plant debris. They have kidney-shaped (reniform) compound eyes but simple eyes (ocelli) are absent. Body colour is generally dull brown. The mandibles are well developed. Most winged species have two pairs of wings, both of which are membranous, soft and flexible. Females are always wingless but some species do not possess winged males. In some species the males may or may not be winged. The abdomen is long and soft with 10 well defined segments although there may be rudimentary traces of an eleventh segment.
The characteristic which gives rise to this insect’s common name is the swollen first tarsal segment of each foreleg which contains silk glands. The insects construct silk galleries through the leaf mould, litter or moss in which they are living using silk from the leg glands. Even newly emerged nymphs are able to secrete silk and build galleries for themselves.
Nymph
There is no metamorphic cycle of egg-larva-pupa-adult. The insect emerges from the egg as a miniature of the adult (nymph). But without wings if a male of a winged species. Nymphs increase in size and maturity by successive moults.
Members
Web-spinners, foot-spinners, embiids.
Food
Web-spinners are scavengers of plant material. Most food comprises moss, bark and dead leaves from the forest floor. After mating, males do not feed and may then be consumed by the females.
Importance
No known economic importance. The presence of web-spinners in the food chains of ecosystems implies that the insects are a part of the forest litter re-cycling system.
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