Webspinners
02 Jun 2025
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Webspinners
Latin: Embioptera — Relevance to Fly Fishing:
Webspinners are small insects that produce silk from their front legs to create intricate, web-like galleries.
Where you can find Webspinners
On this map you see where there were observations of Webspinners around the world. This will give you an idea of the global distribution of this class. Note that a class can have many different families, and thousands of species.
Diversity and distribution
The insect class Embioptera, also known as webspinners, is a small and relatively obscure group of insects with approximately 400 known species. These insects are characterized by their elongated bodies, enlarged front legs, and unique silk-spinning abilities. The Embioptera class is divided into several families, such as Embiidae, Oligotomidae, and Clothodidae, among others.
Embioptera can be found in various countries around the world, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. Their distribution extends across parts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Webspinners typically inhabit a range of environments, including forests, grasslands, and even urban areas, often living in the crevices of rocks, bark, or leaf litter.
Life cycles of Embioptera
The life cycle of webspinners consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The duration of each stage varies among species.
Female webspinners lay their eggs within the silk galleries they construct, providing a safe and sheltered environment for their offspring. Upon hatching, the nymphs closely resemble the adult form but are smaller and lack fully developed wings. As they grow, nymphs undergo multiple molts before ultimately reaching adulthood. Adult webspinners continue to live within their silk galleries, feeding on a variety of organic materials.
Embioptera and fly fishing
Embioptera insects are not typically considered a primary food source for fish, and their relevance to fly fishing is limited. However, their presence near water sources, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, may occasionally make them a target for opportunistic fish species. Ask in a local fly shop whether it's worth bringing a pattern that matches any of the Embioptera insects.
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