African Web Spinner vs Saharan Sand Grasshopper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Web Spinner Saharan Sand Grasshopper
Scientific Name Embia savignyi Sphingonotus octofasciatus
Order Embioptera Orthoptera
Family Embiidae Acrididae
Size 9.0-13.0 mm 22-32 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Africa, Asia Africa
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

African Web Spinner

A medium-sized web spinner found across North Africa and the Middle East. It constructs silk tunnels under stones in semi-arid environments.

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Did You Know?

This species is one of the first web spinners ever described, named by the French entomologist Westwood in 1837.

Saharan Sand Grasshopper

A pale sandy grasshopper well adapted to life on Saharan sand dunes. It has elongated hind legs for powerful jumps across loose sand.

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Did You Know?

Its color matches the local sand so precisely that different populations on different colored dunes look visibly different.