Webspinner (Male)
Oligotoma nigra (or similar species in the Order Embioptera)
- Order & Family
- Order: Embioptera (also known as Embiidina); Family: Oligotomidae
- Size
- Generally quite small, ranging from 6 to 12 mm in length.
Natural Habitat
They typically live in silken tunnels spun in crevices, under bark, in leaf litter, or sometimes in soil. Males are often attracted to porch lights at night.
Diet & Feeding
Mostly herbivorous or detritivorous, feeding on decaying plant matter, moss, lichen, and bark within or near their silken galleries.
Behavior Patterns
Webspinners are unique for their ability to spin silk from swollen glands on their front legs (basitarsus). They use this silk to construct tunnels. Females are wingless and stay in the tunnels, while males are often winged (like the one pictured, likely) and fly to find mates, which is why they are often seen wandering or at lights.
Risks & Benefits
They are harmless to humans; they do not bite or sting. They are generally considered beneficial or neutral to ecosystems as decomposers of organic matter.