Posted by The Embioptera Insect web spinner Haploembia solieri (family oligotomidae) comes from the Mediterranean region. The males have two pairs of long narrow wings, but the females are always wingless. Size 0.4-0.5 in (10-13 mm).
Embioptera Insect Facts:
Common name: Web spinners
Order: Embioptera
Class: Insecta
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Number of species: About 200 (9 U.S.)
Size: From about 0.1 in (3 mm) to 0.5 in (13 mm)
Key features: Long, slim body; females wingless, males with or without wings, head bears threadlike antennae; small compound eyes (tiny in females) and chewing jaws, winged males have 2 pairs of similar-sized, smoky wing powerful hind legs for running backward; front tarsi enlarged to produce silk
Habits: Live in silken tunnels under stones, bark, or leaf litter, which they seldom leave; may form colonies with interconnecting tunnels
Breeding: Males hold females in their jaws during mating; females show parental care of eggs and young nymph
Diet: Moss and decaying vegetable matter
Habitat: Forests, screes, and piles of stones
Distribution: Mainly tropical and subtropical zones
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