Solifugae

Eremobates

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Syndaesia

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A Solifugid (plural form Solifugae) is an arachnid belonging to the order Solifugae, latin for They flee from the sun. The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solifugae, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea, and Mycetophorae.

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The order includes 900 known species, whose common names include "windscorpion", "sun spider", and "camel spider".

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Most solifugae live in tropical or semitropical regions where they inhabit warm and arid habitats, but some species have been known to live in grassland or forest habitats. The most distinctive feature of solifugae is their large chelicerae. Each of the two chelicerae are composed of two articles forming a powerful pincer; each article bears a variable number of teeth. Males in all families but Eremobatidae possess a flagellum on the basal article of the chelicera. Solifugae also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae. Pedipalps terminate in eversible adhesive organs.

Related Topics:
Chelicerae - Eremobatidae - Flagellum - Pedipalps - Antennae

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Solifugae are carnivorous or omnivorous, with most species feeding on termites, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods. Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquified and the liquid ingested through the pharynx. Reproduction can involve direct or indirect sperm transfer; when indirect, the male emits a spermatophore on the ground and then inserts it with his chelicerae in the female's genital pore.

Related Topics:
Termites - Darkling beetles - Sperm - Spermatophore

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As indicated by their name, Solifugae are mostly nocturnal, and seek shade during the day. It is this behavior which led coalition soldiers in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to think these arachnids were attacking them. In reality, they were merely moving toward the newly available shade provided by the soldiers' presence. The absence of shade sends them away.

Related Topics:
Nocturnal - 2003 invasion - Iraq

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The leg span of Camel Spiders in the Middle East may reach 5 inches while in North America they are typically around 1-1/2 to 2 inches.

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