Spiderzrule

Tailless whip scorpions look at first glance like spiders. The first appendages (pedipalps) are modified for grasping prey, with hook-like projections. The first true pair of legs is modified to serve as “feelers,” and are long, delicate, and whip-like, with many fine hairs.

Tailless whip scorpions are reclusive predators of insects. They hunt nocturnally, using their long, delicate first pair of legs to find their food. The spined pedipalps impale and crush the prey and then transfer it to the chelicerae (jaws). Tailless whip-scorpions can only pinch their prey; they lack venom glands.

Their relation, the whip scorpion have a life pattern similar to the true scorpions, but they do not possess a poisonous sting. Their flat body enables them to squeeze into extremely narrow cracks and crevices, where they prey on small arthropods and worms. A few of the larger species also attack small vertebrates, especially frogs. The palps are developed into strong pincers equipped with sharp teeth and spines, which are used for catching and crushing prey. The first pair of legs are generally much longer and thinner than the other three pairs, and may have more a tactile function rather than walking. The species shown opposite belongs to the family Theliphonidae, whose members have a characteristic long, thread-like tail. The tail, which bears numerous fine hairs, has only a sensory function, but can be waved about in a whip-like manner - hence the common name. Although whip scorpions are not venomous, some species defend themselves by squirting an acrid fluid from defence glands situated at the base of the tail. n the other families of the order, the tail is much reduced or absent altogether - these forms are sometimes called whip spiders, rather than whip scorpions. The group as a whole is largely confined to the tropics and sub-tropics, but nevertheless widely distributed with representatives found in China, Japan, India and other parts of Southern Asia, the greater part of Africa, and in Central and South America.

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WHIP SCORPIONS

Reply: Looks like a whip scorpion. http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/whipscorp.htm 13 June, 2006: hey, my name is joshua and my wife and i were leaving our appartment when we saw this thing in the dirt out side. it is still alive even though its legs are tucked under it self. At first glance i thought it was a scorpion, but after closer reveiw i thought that it may be some sort of solfugid. im not sure about all of the characteristics to determine or decipher its classification. i do know that this thing has some sort of long tail approx. an inch or inch and a half. i dont know if if you can see it in the pics. please e mail me back. thanx joshua


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TAILLESS WHIP SCORPIONS
11 July, 2011: Hi Glen, I just came across your site and I love it. I've spent an hour of work browsing through it and I still can't ID some spiders I saw recently on a trip to Cambodia. the photos are attached. Please use them if you'd like. If you can ID them for me I'd be grateful. Also let me know if you'd like ghigher res photos. I took these at 10MP but reduced them for the email. Thanks, Ashkun
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7 December, 2010: Glen - I can't believe it! I was looking through my community's magazine just now and there was a photo of the bug that I tried to describe to you a couple years back. This same bug was in my house, so I captured it with glass and let it outside. But after I couldn't find out what it was, I found your Web site and contacted you trying to describe him to you with a very bad drawing (at that time I forgot to take a picture.) Well, you didn't know what I was talking about, so I never found out what kind of bug/spider it was. But here it is now! One of the residents of my community took a picture. I tore the page out and scanned it. You'll see the bug at the top center. Do you know what this is? I told you it had "rectangles" as eyes or on its head!!!! And you thought I was drinking that night ;-) Look forward to your reply. Thanks, Mary Gold Canyon, Arizona USA by the Superstition Mountains 45 minutes east of Phoenix Click for a larger view
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5 November, 2010: Hi Glen Just found your website, wonderful. We have a small ‘natural bush’ farm in Thabazimbi, South Africa and come across these spiders/scorpions every now and then. They are very aggressive if provoked but will try escape first. Nikki Click for a larger view
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10 October, 2010: Hi Glen I have noticed this spider in a dilapidated building that have been vacant for a number of years. I live in the small South African Coastal Town of Kei Mouth in the Eastern Cape. This is really the first time that I have noticed this type of spider. Would any of the readers know what type it is? Kind regards Willie
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14 August, 2010: Hello, found this spider in my apartment here, looks dangerous to me, can you identify this. Thanks, Raivo
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2 December, 2008: My girlfriend is going to school in Grenada. This guy lives in their laundry room... and they only see him on the walls at night. She says that his body is about 2-3 inches long and his leg span is around 6 inches across. Pretty neat creature!

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15 February, 2007: Can you tell us what kind of spider this is? It was found on the wall of our bodega in Zihuatanejo Mexico (January 2007). The picture beside the spider is about 9 X 14 inches. Thanks Jean Thomson Canada

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14 July, 2006: I found this spider in my garage in Lake Havasu, AZ. Have no idea what it is. Can you help me? Thanks, Jason

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12 April, 2006: Hi Glen I’m trying to get some info on my co-habitants. Whenever I go to the shed, I always find one wandering around corner. Can you give me more information about this creature? Thanx in advance, Qiniso

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15 January, 2006: Hi Thanks for taking time to develop your website. We are living and working in Sri Lanka for a year and have found a spider in our kitchen cupboard. At least we think it’s a spider. It appears to have 8 legs plus 2 feelers/ antennae. Our maid, who isn’t fluent in English, is insisting it’s a tarantula, and dangerous, and can paralyse us and we have to do something to treat the whole house. She is now refusing to use the cupboards. We would be grateful if you’re able to help with the identification, or tell us who can and if we need to take any action or if it is relatively harmless. The spider’s body is approx 0.5 cm wide and approx 1.5 cm long. It’s legs spread to approx 10 cm when fully extended. Thanks a lot, Mike and Sarah

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Reply: It's a tailless whipscorpion and harmless. 19 April, 2005: Hi Glen i hope you can help with this, i live in the UK and my Dad works out in Africa in Ghana in the jungle for a tree felling company, he knows im terrified of spiders and sent me this photo he took of one near his house !! he wants to know what it is and when im coming to visit!!! never now i've seen this thing. Apparently its the size of a dinner plate! thanks Jo Brundall
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Reply: Looks like a Tailless Whipscorpion to me. 6 January, 2005: Hi Glen. Saw your website. My wife and I saw lots of spiders in Costa Rica, but this one takes the cake! Big and gnarly this one! I've never seen a spider with arms that extend out from either side of it's head with scorpion-like pincher/stingers on the end. Unfortunately, our local guide killed it because they were pretty darn sure it was poisonous. Any ideas what kind this guy is??? Thanks.Carrington Barrs

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13 August, 2004 Do you have any idea what this is? With legspan it was about 3" across. I took the pic on my patio in Tucson, Arizona last night. Thanks, John
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19 September, 2002: Buenos dias La presente es para contarles que en el patio de mi casa encontre un animal extraño que parece araña, tiene patas largas, y dos flagelos como antenas, y tiene unas tenazas. Les envio una foto de este animal para saber si ustedes tienen datos que me puedan proporcionar y saber cual es el nombre y que clase de animal es. Gracias, Atentamente, Alfonso Ordoñez, Guatemala, Guatemala, Centro America, E-mail: alfonsoordonez@icasa.com.gt

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