Solifugae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Solifugae Sundevall, 1833
Families
see text Image File history File links Size of this preview: 457 × 600 pixels Full resolution (721 × 946 pixel, file size: 228 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Solifugae ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... For other uses, see Arachnid (disambiguation). ... Carl Jakob Sundevall (1801 - 1875) was a Swedish zoologist. ...

The order Solifugae is a group of arachnids, containing more than 1,000 described species in about 140 genera. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun. The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea and Mycetophorae. Their common names include camel spider, wind scorpion, and sun spider. In scientific classification used in biology, the order (Latin: ordo, plural ordines) is a rank between class and family (termed a taxon at that rank). ... For other uses, see Arachnid (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... In science, a common name is any name by which a species or other concept is known that is not the official scientific name. ...

A Solifugid

Solifugae are not true spiders, which are from a different order, Araneae. Like scorpions and harvestmen, they belong to a distinct arachnid order. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1399x1130, 486 KB) Solfuga, gatunek nieznany Autor: CM Przesłał: pl:Wikipedysta:Radomil, za zgodą autora Irak 2004 File links The following pages link to this file: Solifugae Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1399x1130, 486 KB) Solfuga, gatunek nieznany Autor: CM Przesłał: pl:Wikipedysta:Radomil, za zgodą autora Irak 2004 File links The following pages link to this file: Solifugae Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... For other uses, see Spider (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Scorpion (disambiguation). ... Diversity 4 suborders Suborders Cyphophthalmi Eupnoi Dyspnoi Laniatores Harvestmen (also known as daddy long-legs) are eight-legged invertebrate animals belonging to the order Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) in the class Arachnida, in the subphylum Chelicerata of the phylum Arthropoda. ...

Most Solifugae inhabit warm and arid habitats, including virtually all deserts in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, 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. Solifugae also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae and give the appearance of the two extra legs. Pedipalps terminate in eversible adhesive organs. The eastern hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... Types of chelicerae: jackknife (in green), scissor (in blue) and 3-segmented chelate (in red) The Chelicerae are mouth parts of the Chelicerata, an arthropod subphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata (horseshoe crabs), and Pycnogonida (sea spiders). ... Thelyphonida, in dorsal view, with pedipalps highlighted in green Pedipalps, the second pair of appendages of the cephalothorax in Arachnida, is homologous with mandibles in Crustacea, and corresponding to the mandibles of insects. ... Insects display a wide variety of antennal shapes. ...

Solifugae are carnivorous or omnivorous, with most species feeding on termites, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods, although solifugae have been videotaped consuming larger prey such as lizards [1]. Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx. Carnivorism redirects here. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... Families Mastotermitidae Kalotermitidae Termopsidae Hodotermitidae Rhinotermitidae Serritermitidae Termitidae Termites, sometimes known as white ants, are a group of social insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera. ... Subfamilies Lagriinae Phrenapatinae Pimeliinae Diaperinae Hypophloeinae Opatrinae Tenebrioninae Alleculinae Coelometopinae Wikispecies has information related to: Darkling beetle Darkling beetles are a family of beetles found worldwide, estimated at more than 20,000 species. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ...

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. For other uses, see Sperm (disambiguation). ... A spermatophore is a capsule or mass created by males of various invertebrate species, containing spermatozoa and transferred in entirety to the female during sex. ...

As indicated by their name, Solifugae are mostly nocturnal, and seek shade during the day. It was this behaviour 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. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

Myths

Solifugae are the subject of many myths and exaggerations about their size, speed, behavior, appetite, and lethality. They are not especially large, the biggest having a legspan of perhaps 12 cm (5 inches). They are fast on land compared to other invertebrates, the fastest can run perhaps 16 km per hour (10 mph), nearly half as fast as the fastest human sprinter. Members of this order of Arachnida apparently have no venom, with the possible exception of one species in India (see below) and do not spin webs. It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ... Spider web with morning dew enhancing its visibility. ...

In the Middle East, it is widely rumored among American and coalition military forces stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened. Other stories include tales of them leaping into the air, disemboweling camels, eerie hissing and screaming, and running alongside moving humvees; all of these tales are false. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Anesthesia (AE), also anaesthesia (BE), is the process of blocking the perception of pain and other sensations. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... This article refers to the Military HMMWV, not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors General Characteristics (Humvee) Manufacturer: AM General Length: 4. ...

Due to their bizarre appearance many people are startled or even afraid of them. The greatest threat they pose to humans, however, is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound which is prone to infection.

Venom controversy

While the absence of venom in Solifugae is a long-established fact, there is a single published study of one species, Rhagodes nigrocinctus, carried out in India in 1978 by a pair of researchers who did histological preparations of the chelicerae, and found what they believed to be epidermal glands (Aruchami & Sandara Rajulu 1978). Extracts from these glands were then injected into lizards, where it induced paralysis in 7 of 10 tests. While this study has never been confirmed, and while other researchers have been unable to locate similar glands in other species, this particular species does appear to possess venom, although it is not known if there is any mechanism for introducing it into prey (recall that the researchers manually injected it into lizards). It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ...

Classification

There are twelve families belonging to the order Solifugae:

• Ammotrechidae
• Ceromidae
• Daesiidae
• Eremobatidae
• Galeodidae
• Gylippidae
• Hexisopodidae
• Karschiidae
• Melanoblossidae
• Mummuciidae
• Rhagodidae
• Solpugidae

The family Protosolpugidae is only known from one fossil species from the Pennsylvanian. Genera see Text Ammotrechidae solifuges are distributed in the Americas and the Caribbean Islands. ... The Pennsylvanian is an epoch of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly 325 Ma to 299 Ma (million years ago). ...

In popular culture

A fictional species of Solifugae played a role in the second episode of the Science Fiction show Primeval. A nest entered the present through an anomaly leading to the Carboniferous. The adults were up to 1 metre wide, by 1 metre long, because the lush rainforest of the Carboniferous saturates the atmosphere with oxygen, allowing them to grow larger than modern arthropods. The Solifugae's aversion to sunlight and lack of venom were major plot points in that episode. Cast of Primeval: (left to right:) Hannah Spearritt, Andrew-Lee Potts, Douglas Henshall, Lucy Brown, James Murray and Mark Wakeling. ... President Bush- Deres gold in dem dere mines The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ...

US Marines in Iraq have put videos up on YouTube that include the Solifugae. Known as Camel Spiders in ther videos, they range from fighting a scorpion to trying to scare other MarinesYouTube link United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. ...

In an episode of Man Vs Wild involving a desert, Bear Grylls cut off the front legs of a Solifugae and ate it, describing it as "an explosion of pus." Man vs. ... Edward Michael Bear Grylls (born 7 June 1974), known as Bear Grylls, is a British mountaineer, adventurer, author, television presenter, and motivational speaker. ...

References

• Aruchami, M. & Sundara Rajulu, G. (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.

Gallery

Solifuge from Iraq, 2004. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1214x1101, 340 KB) Solfuga, gat. ...	Wind Scorpion Wind Scorpion I took this picture and release it: Picture taken at: (latitude 47. ...	Another Wind Scorpion Download high resolution version (788x610, 145 KB)Wind Scorpion I took this picture and release it: Picture taken at: (latitude 47. ...	Camel Spider from Rajasthan (India) in a garden. Image File history File links AB010_Camel_Spider. ...
Sun spider/wind scorpion. Just over 3 inches including legs. Mesa, Az Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2000x3008, 3437 KB)Sun spider/wind scorpion. ...	Camel Spider profile showing jaws. About 3 inches with legs. Image File history File links CamelSpiderProfile. ...	Wind Scorpion less than an inch long in Bangalore, India. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Solifugae

• Punzo, Fred (1998). The Biology of Camel-Spiders. Springer. ISBN 0792381556. 
• Weygoldt, Peter (1969). The Biology of Pseudoscorpions. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674074254. 
• Camel Spiders at the Urban Legends Reference Pages
• "Camel Spiders: Behind an E-Mail Sensation From Iraq", National Geographic, June 29, 2004. 
• The Arachnid Order Solifugae.