Insects Pteropoda Embioptera (Threaded ants)

This order is named because the tarsus of the forefoot can secrete silk webs or form nests. It is herbivorous and causes little obvious harm to plants. Its morphology, physiology and ecology are of great exploration and research value, and it is easy to cultivate in the laboratory.

Body length 4-6 mm. Slender, flat, soft, the abdomen and chest are almost as long, brown, yellowish brown or with a metallic luster. Wings smoky gray. The mouthparts are chewing and the compound eyes are small. Antennae filamentous or bead-shaped. Females are wingless. The first tarsus of the forefoot is enlarged and can secrete silk and form webs.

There are more than 300 known species in the world, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few distributed in temperate regions. Only 6 species have been recorded in our country.

The characteristics of this order can be summarized as follows: the byssal ants belong to the order Spinipoda, with the front legs spinning at the base of the tarsus; the thorax is long and the tail is short and divided into two segments; the male has four wings but the female has none.

animal tags： Spinipoda