Rhagadochir virgo
Rhagadochir virgo is a species of webspinner, an insect in the order Embiidina, also known as Embioptera. This species is native to the Republic of the Congo in tropical West Africa.[1]
| Rhagadochir virgo | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Embioptera |
| Family: | Scelembiidae |
| Genus: | Rhagadochir |
| Species: | R. virgo |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhagadochir virgo (Ross, 1960)[1] | |
Ecology
Only females of this species have been found, the insects reproducing by parthenogenesis. Perhaps because of their close inter-relatedness, these insects are notably gregarious, crowding together in their silken tunnels. The insects spin their silk in a co-ordinated fashion and may move to new quarters in an organised group, a behaviour not observed elsewhere among members of this order. A female will lay a batch of eggs and wrap them in silk, often incorporating lichen pieces into the silk covering, which may be a form of providing food for the nymphs when they hatch.[2]
References
- "Rhagadochir virgo (Ross, 1960)". Embioptera Species File. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- Foottit, Robert G.; Adler, Peter H. (2018). Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society. Wiley. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-118-94559-9.