Spinneret

A spinneret is a silk producing organ possessed by spiders and some insects (often caterpillars of butterflies and moths). Spinnerets are tubular or conical structures and silk is produced in liquid form at the tip. When exposed to the air the silk forms a filament and the spider or insect draws out the silk into a thread. The silk is then used to create a web or covering for a cocoon.

Related terms

• Arachnid
• Cocoon
• Embioptera
• Silk
• Silkmoth
• Spider

Related groups of terms

• Invertebrate body structure

Related pages on this web site

• Arachnids
• Silk
• Web-spinners - Order Embioptera

See other words beginning with S