While taking a break from a task I was working on at the coast this afternoon (1 July 2023), I turned over a couple pieces of driftwood and noticed this little pseudoscorpion!
Note the scorpion-like claws, but the lack of a scorpion-like tail. This individual was only ~5 mm long.
I don't know much about pseudoscorpions. This might be Garypus californicus, but if anyone can help confirm the i.d., let me know!
3 comments:
Such a complex, elegant exoskeleton!
So fierce!
And so tiny!
Can't wait to learn more about them.
Once again, thank you, Jackie.
I'll never get tired of the beauty of your teaching
on this site. I hope YOU never get tired of posting
that beautiful teaching!
xomkc
Let us know when you get an ID. We used to lump all these together as solpugids (if I have the spelling right).
Thanks!
Re: the taxonomic question re: pseudoscorpions are solpugids. I checked around a bit and learned that they are both arachnids, but they are in separate orders, so pretty different from each other.
(To anyone unfamiliar or who needs a reminder, basic taxonomic categories from higher to lower level categories include Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.)
Pseudoscorpions are in the order Pseudoscorpiones, while solpugids are in the order Solifugae. There's some basic introductory info about both groups on the American Arachnological Society website: https://www.americanarachnology.org/about-arachnids/arachnid-orders/
You learn something new every day!
Jackie
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