Camel spider
| Solifugae Temporal range:
late Carboniferous to present | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male solifugid in South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Subclass: | Dromopoda
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| Order: | Solifugae
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Solifugae is an order of arachnids sometimes called 'camel spiders', 'wind scorpions' or 'sun spiders'. Although they look rather like spiders, they are not spiders, and they are not scorpions.
The order includes more than 1,000 species in about 153 genera. Much like a spider, the body of a Solifugid is separated into an opisthosoma (abdomen) and a prosoma (a combined head and thorax). Unlike scorpions, they do not have tails, and they do not have venom.
Most species of Solifugids live in dry climates. They are found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The largest species grow to a length of 12–15 cm (5–6 in), including legs.[1] They are not normally dangerous to people.[2][3]
References
- ↑ G. Schmidt (1993). Giftige und gefährliche Spinnentiere (in German). Westarp Wissenschaften. ISBN 3-89432-405-8.
- ↑ M. Aruchami & G. Sundara Rajulu (1978). "An investigation on the poison glands and the nature of the venom of Rhagodes nigrocinctus (Solifugae: Arachnida)". Nat. Acad. Sci. Letters (India). 1: 191–192.
- ↑ David Penney (2009). "Solifugae (camel spiders)". Common spiders and other arachnids of the Gambia, West Africa. Siri Scientific Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-9558636-3-9.
