Embioptera

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Webspinner
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera Order: Embioptera Lameere, 1900
Families
There are 2 suborders and 10 families: Andesembiidae Anisembiidae Australembiidae Clothodidae Embiidae Embonychidae Notoligotomidae Oligotomidae Teratembiidae Sorellembiidae

Webspinners or embiids (order Embioptera) are a small group of mostly tropical and subtropical insects, classified under the subclass Pterygota. The name Embioptera (lively wings) comes from Greek, embio meaning lively and ptera meaning wings, and refers to the fluttery movement of wings that was observed in the first male specimen described. The group probably first appeared during the Jurassic and is well represented in Cretaceous amber. All the females are wingless, and in some species also the males. Webspinners spin silk from structures on their front legs. They use the silk to make a weblike pouch or gallery in which they live. The galleries may be found in leaf litter, under rocks, or under bark.

The order contains only some 300 species.

[edit] References

• Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82149-5.