Ross's Web Spinner vs Mediterranean Webspinner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ross's Web Spinner Mediterranean Webspinner
Scientific Name Chelicerca rubra Haploembia solieri
Order Embioptera Embioptera
Family Chelicercidae Oligotomidae
Size 8.0-12.0 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Heathland
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Africa Mediterranean Europe, North Africa
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Ross's Web Spinner

A reddish-brown web spinner found in tropical Africa that builds silk tunnels on tree bark. It is one of the more brightly colored embiopterans.

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Did You Know?

The reddish coloration of this web spinner is unusual in the order, as most species are drab brown or black.

Mediterranean Webspinner

A small, brown webspinner native to the Mediterranean region. It constructs silk tunnels on rocks and walls, and reproduces parthenogenetically in many populations.

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Did You Know?

Many populations consist entirely of females that reproduce without mating, a rare trait among insects.