What was THAT???

That is usually the first question that comes to mind when a member of the order Solifugae races past.  If one is lucky enough to be able capture a solifugid for a closer examination, the question usually remains...what is THAT???

Doing a quick internet search for "super fast scary spider looking thing" will bring you right to the order Solifugae.  These fascinating creatures have many common names....camel spiders, false spiders, sun spiders and wind scorpions to name a few.  There are also several variations on the proper name..solifuges, solifugids or solpugids. So great, what have we learned so far?  1) the internet knows what a super fast scary spider looking thing is and 2) it has a lot of names.

Well I dug a little deeper.  They form one of the most diverse orders of arachnids in terms of families, genera and species. They are one of the dominant predators in arid ecosystems and are voracious hunters.  They are known to feed on all types of arthropods and even cannibalize each other. They have forward facing chelicerae which they use to catch, tear and liquefy their prey.  They do not produce venom or silk but will bite if provoked.  They simply chase down their victims and consume.  I would consider Solifugids as a beneficial member of our environment.  They do not want to have anything to do with us except exploit the environments we create for true pest species.  They hide during the day by burrowing in loose soil or under rocks.  They prey upon roaches, crickets, beetles and even other spiders.

I am grateful to have gotten know another member of our society and to find out that it presents no harm to me other than the occasional surprise as it races under my chair in search for a good meal. A web site that I recommend you search for further information is www.solpugid.com.