Webspinner
Oligotoma nigra
This record describes Oligotoma nigra (species). Recorded family: Oligotomidae. Recorded order: Embioptera.
Identification and Appearance
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Terms from the source record, grouped for readability. Broad terms such as size or location are not measurements or a confirmed range.
Wikipedia reference for Oligotoma nigra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligotoma_nigra.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Embioptera (Webspinners)
- Family
- Oligotomidae
- Genus
- Oligotoma
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Webspinners: the wider group
Order-level background for Embioptera, the group containing Oligotoma nigra. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Embioptera (webspinners) includes ~400 described species. They are unique among insects for spinning silk from glands in their front feet (tarsi) - the only insects to produce silk from their legs.
Ecological role of the group
Webspinners are social insects that live in communal silk galleries. They can run equally fast forwards and backwards through their tunnels. Most species are wingless, though males of some species have wings.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Webspinners have minimal economic impact as they feed primarily on dead plant material. They are mostly tropical and subtropical, living in silk-lined tunnels under bark, rocks, or leaf litter.
Recorded sources for this group: Entomological research. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
