Solpuga (Solifugae) or phalanx spider is the general name of the order, to which about a thousand species of arachnids belong.
There are other common names for the animal, it is called a camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider, phalanx.
Solpuga
It is more correct to call this detachment phalanxes. Because of the appearance, the question may arise - what is the danger of the phalanx of the spider.
The phalanx spider inhabits the desert areas of the Earth, it is not only in Australia.
The detachment of these spiders differs in some features - the way of life and structure combine signs of high and primitive levels of development.
Phalanx spider in the desert
Primitive features include the type of trunk dismemberment and the structure of the legs. At the same time, they have a very developed tracheal system.
The phalanx camel spider is found in the following regions of the former Soviet Union:
- Kalmykia;
- Lower Volga region;
- North Caucasus;
- Middle Asia;
- Transcaucasia;
- Kazakhstan.
In the European part, the spider can be found in Greece and Spain. For the most part, spiders of the phalanx of solpugi are predators at night, they love a hot and dry climate, and they move at high speed. Some subspecies are active during the day. There is a misconception that solpuga is dangerous to humans.
Appearance
It is interesting to know what a spider phalanx looks like. The body of animals is long, like for arachnids, it can reach 7 cm in length.
There are very small specimens, up to 15 mm. From people who met with the solpuga, one can hear a description of the phalanx spider as a terrible, even threatening animal.
Phalanx spider appearance
They got this appearance thanks to the numerous bristles and hairs that cover the entire surface of the body.
In the photo and descriptions of the phalanx spider, you can see that most of its representatives have a brown-yellow, sandy-yellow and light yellow color. This feature is dictated by the influence of the habitat of the arachnid. In the tropics, there are specimens with a bright color.
Structure
The phalanx spiders are mostly large. The head and thoracic region are dismembered from the body. The front part of the chest is covered with a strong chitinous shield.
There are also two eyes, mouth appendages, called chelicerae, equipped with strong claws, pedipalps and legs, with the help of which the spider moves. Solpugs have ten legs.
The front pedipalps are very sensitive and are a tactile organ for the spider. Any movement noticed makes him react, making him an excellent hunter. The structure of the solpuga gives him the ability to climb vertical surfaces - all thanks to the hind limbs, equipped with suction cups and claws.
The camel spider has a fusiform abdomen, consisting of ten segments of a complex structure. Each segment is covered by the hard dorsal and abdominal portions, which are connected to the cephalothorax in a manner that resembles the waist. Tracheal respiration consists of developed longitudinal organs and small vessels, the walls of which have a spiral thickening.
The body of the spider's phalanx is covered with many fine bristles and hairs. The impressive size, speed of movement, and a terrifying cover make the solar spider a formidable hunter, capable of instilling fear in a person.
The structure of the solpuga body
The salpuga spider phalanx is able to make squeaky or grinding sounds - rubbing with chelicera, he intimidates the enemy.
Chelicera are a characteristic feature of this arachnid. They have a powerful structure, consist of two parts, fastened together by a joint.
Outwardly, these mouth organs resemble crab claws. The teeth are located on them, the number of teeth depends on the type of solpugi. With strong, sturdy chelicerae, it bites the solpuga, cuts the skin, feathers, wool, and sometimes bones.
Life and reproduction
The camel spider prefers to mate at night. A special smell emanates from the female, signaling to the male that she is ready.
In this process, chelicera help the salpuga - with their help, the male transfers the spermatophore into the opening of the female's genital organ.
The whole process takes place at a reflex level - the male continues to act even if the female has left him.
At the end of mating, the fertilized female begins to look for additional sources of food, laying eggs in a cooked mink. The number of eggs in a clutch is different - from 30 to 200 pieces.
Clutch of Salpugi eggs
Small embryos begin their development while in the spider's oviducts. Very soon, young individuals appear, covered with a strong, transparent film.
For about two weeks, the hatched phalanges of spiders do not move - this ability appears in them after 15-20 days, when the first molt passes. At this time, the young have characteristic bristles. At first, the mother is constantly near the cubs, feeding them until they get stronger and start to get food on their own.
Solar spiders depend on weather and seasonality. The cold makes them hide, hibernate and wait for warmth.
Food and habitation
Where does the phalanx spider live?
Salpuga is common in steppe, semi-desert and desert regions in:
- temperate climates;
- subtropical climate;
- tropical climate.
There are some species found in woodlands. The phalanx camel spider lives in Pakistan, India, Bhutan, the African continent, the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkans.
Solpuga is active at night, during the day, during the heat, he hides in shelters - abandoned holes of rodents, among stones, dug shelters.
Another characteristic of the wind scorpion is that it is incredibly voracious.
Salpuga's jaws
The absence of poisonous glands does not deprive the spider of the opportunity to feed on large insects and small animals.
Phalanges are striking in their indiscriminate food - they are able to attack and eat everything that creeps alongside. They are able to attack termites, gnawing through the walls of the termite mound. Spiders in California attack bee hives.
Females are especially voracious. In the process of fertilization, they do not show any initiative. As soon as the process ends, she starts looking for food with particular greed, not missing the opportunity to satisfy her hunger with her partner.
The gluttony of spiders can be judged by how they eat everything they are given in captivity. If he is not restricted in his diet, the phalanx will eat until his abdomen ruptures.
Salpuga caught a lizard
In this state, he continues to eat until death. In natural habitat, this behavior is not observed, since the too large size of the swollen abdomen deprives the spider of the opportunity to move on and look for food.
Danger to humans
The phalanx attacks a moving object, even if it is much larger. A person does not seem to him to be something frightening.
Solpuga on the leg
Tourists who decide to spend several days in nature in tents should be careful - a solpuga may come to visit at night.
Why is a phalanx spider dangerous for humans? It does not belong to the poisonous species of arachnids. Spider bites can be dangerous to humans. Powerful jaw chelicerae are able to bite through human skin.
Rotting fragments of the eaten victim may remain on the jaws of the solpugi. During the bite, there is a chance that these fragments will enter the wound, causing severe inflammation.
Conclusion
There is a lot of information about solpugs, which often turns out to be untrue.
Despite the formidable and disgusting appearance for someone, spiders do not carry a serious threat to humans.
Video: Amazing spiders - solpuga
Solpuga (Solifugae) or phalanx spider is the general name of the order, to which about a thousand species of arachnids belong.
There are other common names for the animal, it is called a camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider, phalanx.
It is more correct to call this detachment phalanxes. Because of the appearance, the question may arise - what is the danger of the phalanx of the spider.
Description and characteristics
If we describe the phalanx in more detail, then we can say about it that these are large arachnid arthropods. Solpuga living in Central Asia reaches a length of up to 7 centimeters. The whole body and limbs are covered with long hair. The front "tentacles", called pedipalps, are also similar to the legs, and when moving, they perform their functions, only they are longer than the "walking" limbs. In total, the phalanx has 10 legs.
Two pedipalps perform a tactile function, but the hind limbs of the phalanx have tenacious claws. Between them there are villi similar to suckers, thanks to which spiders easily climb vertically located surfaces.
Solpugs are very fast and are nocturnal predators. All phalanges are carnivorous, or rather omnivorous, so they feed on termites, various beetles and even small arthropods. But sometimes they hunt lizards too.
The phalanx spider's eyes are arranged like all arthropod spiders: in front there are two round complexly arranged eyes, and on the sides of the cephalothorax one more eye. The solpug simply does not have "forward-looking" eyes. Why does a spider need compound eyes? They are the ones who react to light and to the movement of various objects. Therefore, it only takes a split second for the solpuga to react to the approach. This makes her a great hunter and rarely a prey.
Types of phalanges (solpug)
The 13 families, which form a large order of phalanges, are subdivided into 140 genera, which include almost 1000 species. Among the representatives of camel spiders, the most famous are:
- Common salpuga (South Russian salpuga, common galeod)(lat.Galeodes araneoides) is represented by large individuals: their body length can reach 6 cm in females and 4.5 cm in males. The lower part of the abdomen and cephalothorax are sandy yellow. The top of the back is gray and brown. Powerful chelicerae are able to withstand the weight of a camel spider's own body. The common salpuga is an active nocturnal predator that digs holes, hides under stones, in holes thrown by rodents or in crevices of the ground. These individuals are omnivores, including can attack scorpions and other spiders. The common saltpug is listed in the Red Book of the Astrakhan region.
- Transcaspian salpuga(lat.Galeodes caspius) has a brownish red coloration of the cephalothorax and a gray abdomen, on which dark stripes are clearly distinguished. The size of these arachnids reaches 6.5-7 cm. These camel spiders live in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
- Smoky salpuga(lat.Galeodes fumigatus) is the largest representative of the phalanx order. The body size of individual individuals can exceed 7 cm. The upper part of the abdomen of the solpuga, in the middle of which a grayish-brown strip is visible, is painted in an olive-smoky color. The cephalothorax has a bright yellowish-buffy hue. The phalanx lives in Turkmenistan.
Habitat
The camel spider lives in desert, semi-desert regions, steppes. Prefers arid area, high temperature. Many species live in the Gobi Desert, in the North Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Astrakhan, Transcaucasia, the Lower Volga region, Volgograd. In Europe, they are found in Greece, Spain.
The camel spider digs holes in the soil, hides under stones, snags.
On a note! Solpuga is predominantly nocturnal, but some species are active during the day and are not afraid of the sun's rays. The phalanxes are afraid of people, they try to hide quickly, but their carelessness often penetrates the living quarters.
Lifestyle
Most nocturnal hunters hide during the day in abandoned rodent burrows, among stones or in their underground nests, which they dig with the help of chelicers, discarding the soil with their paws. The light attracts them by the accumulation of insects.
Therefore, they slide onto the reflections of the fire, the beams of a flashlight, to the illuminated windows. There are species that are active during the day. Such sun-loving representatives in Spain were called "solar spiders". In terrariums, solpugs like to bask under the light of ultraviolet lamps.
The activity of spiders is manifested not only in fast running, but also in dexterous vertical movement, jumping a considerable distance - up to 1-1.2 m. When meeting an enemy, solpugs raise the front part of the body, the claws are opened and directed towards the enemy.
Harsh and shrill sounds give the spider determination in an attack, frighten the enemy. The life of predators is subject to seasons. With the arrival of the first cold weather, they hibernate until warm spring days.
During the hunt, solpugs make characteristic sounds, similar to grinding or a piercing squeak. This effect appears due to friction of the chelicera to intimidate the enemy.
The behavior of animals is aggressive, they are not afraid of either man or poisonous scorpions, they are even belligerent towards each other. Lightning-fast movements of hunters are dangerous for victims, but they themselves rarely become someone's prey.
It is difficult to expel a spider that has run into the tent, you can sweep it out with a broom or crush it on a hard surface, it is impossible to do this on the sand. Bites need to be washed with antiseptics. Salpugs are not poisonous, but they carry infections on themselves. In case of wound suppuration after a spider attack, antibiotics will be required.
What does the phalanx spider eat?
Phalanges are carnivorous and omnivorous arachnids. They instantly grab prey and, holding tightly, tear them apart with very powerful chelicera.
They feed on beetles, termites, small arthropods, and can also catch a lizard or a small bird, do not disdain carrion. In a fight with an adult scorpion, the phalanx most often comes out victorious.
With their chelicerae, they cut off the hair and plumage of small birds and can crush thin bones. After such cleaning, the victim is strongly moistened with digestive juice and absorbed.
In America, there is one of the types of salpugs, which are called "hive devastators." At night, they make their way into the hive and eat the bees, after which they often cannot get back through the notch (due to a swollen abdomen) and die from bee stings.
Phalanges are extremely voracious - sometimes they eat until its greatly enlarged abdomen bursts. Moreover, even dying, the phalanx continues to absorb food for some time.
Reproduction
During the mating season, the male phalanx, by the smell emitted by the female, searches for her, after which mating occurs. Then the male has to hide urgently. This is due to the fact that the "lady" begins to show signs of aggression and is able to eat her former "gentleman".
Mating usually takes place at night. The female attracts the male with her scent. Fertilization takes place in a spermatophore way - the male releases a sticky spermatophore containing sperm, picks it up with the help of a chelicera and transfers it to the female's genital opening.
In this case, a certain role is played by special appendages-flags on the male chelicerae. The process takes several minutes. When mating, the male behaves reflexively - if you remove the female or the spermatophore, the male will continue his actions anyway, not noticing that now they have no meaning.
After fertilization of the salpuga, the female begins to feed intensively and lays from 30 to 200 eggs in a previously dug hole. The development of new individuals begins in the mother's oviducts. Therefore, soon small phalanges are born, covered with a transparent, but strong and flexible film (cuticle).
The first days the solpugi are motionless. They acquire the ability to move independently after the first molt, which comes after 14-20 days. Then the young growth begins to grow with hairs characteristic of this species. The mother is with the cubs until they get stronger, and at first supplies them with food.
The life of camel spiders is subject to strict seasons. With the onset of cold weather, the phalanges fall into deep hibernation and, in this form, experience unfavorable conditions.
Danger to humans
The phalanxes resemble spiders in their appearance and cause horror and fear in people. Moreover, they are very impetuous and aggressive.
The phalanx itself is not afraid of man. She perceives any movement around her as a danger. Therefore, a number of rules should be followed to minimize the possibility of a bite.
- Close windows and doors tightly at night, in case of heat - tightly cover the windows with mesh.
- If you have to walk with a flashlight at night, you should be careful so that the phalanx does not rush into the light.
- Be very attentive when sitting by the fire at night.
- When spending the night in nature, tightly close the entrance to the tent, do not light a lantern in it.
- Shoes or clothes should not be left outside overnight: the phalanx can crawl into them.
- When hiking in nature, you need to tuck your legs into socks and wear long sleeves.
The phalanx boldly creeps up to the light of a fire or a flashlight in a tent. In general, these insects love light, they are attracted even by streetlights. It is believed that they are attracted not by the light, but by the midges that flock to the light. They are especially fond of electric light and ultraviolet radiation from a mercury lamp.
If a phalanx crawls into a brightly lit house or tent, then it is almost impossible to drive it out.
You can catch and take it out, wearing thick gloves, sweep it with a broom, or kill it. Inside the house, this should not be done, as this produces a dark, not very pleasant liquid. It is almost impossible to kill a saltpug in the sand.
During the day, the phalanges hide from the bright light under stones, in burrows. Therefore, you should not touch stones, heaps of stones or examine the minks of animals with your hands.
If the home terrarium contains a phalanx, it is not recommended to take it with your hands.
- Interestingly, when attacking, the phalanx frightens the enemy with a loud sound, obtained when the chelicera touch and rub against each other.
- The phalanges have other names, for example, "camel spider". It is due to the habitat of the phalanges. And the specific shape of the body, which allows them to move at a speed of up to 16 km / h, and perform acrobatic jumps reaching 1 meter in height, served as the basis for the nickname "wind scorpion".
- Feeding "pets" at home should be moderate, as captive phalanx spiders can consume food indefinitely. There were even cases of their death from overeating.
- A large salpuga can easily bite through human skin. That is why phalanges are dangerous to humans, although they do not have poison, like spiders and devices for injecting it under the skin, the remains of tissue from previous victims often accumulate in their jaws. These residues rot and are therefore toxic and poisonous. If these toxins enter an open wound during a bite, they can provoke not only a local inflammatory reaction, but also cause blood poisoning. Even if the bite does not cause any consequences, it is quite painful. http://libertempo.ru/pauk-falanga-solpuga/
Phalanges are insects of the arthropod family, the order of arachnids. There are about 800 varieties. They live almost everywhere, except for the regions of the Far North, Antarctica, Australia.
In our country, they can be found in the North Caucasus, the Lower Volga region, in the Crimea. They prefer arid places, deserts, semi-deserts. They are found in the steppe zone.
Who are the phalanxes
Phalanges are not spiders. In fact, these are arachnids ranging in size from 1 to 7 cm. The largest Central Asian individuals are more than 8 cm. Among biologists, it is customary to call them solpugs.
For defense and attack, the phalanx usually uses its chelicerae. These are powerful jaws, on the surface of which teeth are located. Chelicerae can cut wool, feathers, skin, bones of small animals that they feed on. When attacking, the phalanges emit a specific sound, which is obtained as a result of the friction of the chelicerae against each other.
Solpugs are very mobile. Their jumps reach one meter. They climb steep walls surprisingly quickly. They can move at a speed of 15 km / h. For this they are called "wind scorpions."
The body of the solpuga is covered with hairs, which makes this insect rather ominous. Color - from light yellow to brownish yellow. There are very bright multi-colored individuals.
Danger to humans
The phalanxes resemble spiders in their appearance and cause horror and fear in people. Moreover, they are very impetuous and aggressive.
The phalanx itself is not afraid of man. She perceives any movement around her as a danger. Therefore, a number of rules should be followed to minimize the possibility of a bite.
- Close windows and doors tightly at night, in case of heat - tightly cover the windows with mesh.
- If you have to walk with a flashlight at night, you should be careful so that the phalanx does not rush into the light.
- Be very attentive when sitting by the fire at night.
- When spending the night in nature, tightly close the entrance to the tent, do not light a lantern in it.
- Shoes or clothes should not be left outside overnight: the phalanx can crawl into them.
- When hiking in nature, you need to tuck your legs into socks and wear long sleeves.
The phalanx boldly creeps up to the light of a fire or a flashlight in a tent. In general, these insects love light, they are attracted even by streetlights. It is believed that they are attracted not by the light, but by the midges that flock to the light. They are especially fond of electric light and ultraviolet radiation from a mercury lamp.
If a phalanx crawls into a brightly lit house or tent, then it is almost impossible to drive it out.
You can catch and take it out, wearing thick gloves, sweep it with a broom, or kill it. Inside the house, this should not be done, as this produces a dark, not very pleasant liquid. It is almost impossible to kill a saltpug in the sand.
During the day, the phalanges hide from the bright light under stones, in burrows. Therefore, you should not touch stones, heaps of stones or examine the minks of animals with your hands.
If the home terrarium contains a phalanx, it is not recommended to take it with your hands.
What to do with a bite
Solpuga literally bites through human skin. Contrary to fears, the phalanx bite is not poisonous, although it is very painful. When bitten, it chews the skin with its powerful jaws. Why is the phalanx dangerous?
Danger present leftovers food, which are on jaws solpugi.
They usually live in warm climates, food debris decomposes quickly and can be toxic. Therefore, after a bite of the phalanx, there are inflammations, and sometimes blood poisoning.
To avoid this, you need to take a number of actions:
- wash the wound with clean water with household or any other soap;
- treat the bite site with any disinfectant that is at hand;
- if there is, you can apply an antibiotic ointment;
- bandage or apply a plaster;
- change dressings daily and treat the bite site.
Iodine, brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide can be used as a disinfectant. Even vodka or alcohol will do. Of the antibacterial ointments in the medicine cabinet, it is best to keep Levomekol.
You do not need to cauterize the bite site or cut it, as with the bites of poisonous animals, try to suck the poison from the wound, apply a tourniquet.
This will only cause additional pain. It is forbidden to sprinkle the wound with sand, earth, apply plants.
You can not comb the bite site. If you are prone to allergies, you need to take an antiallergic agent.
These actions will help to avoid suppuration and infection. In case of inflammation, consult a doctor. He will prescribe an antibiotic. Pain usually persists for a while, so pain pills can be taken.
Despite all the superstitions and fears, phalanxes are not such dangerous and poisonous neighbors as other spiders and arachnids. For example, scorpions. But you still need to beware of them.
When meeting a person, the solpuga does not run away, like other animals, but goes directly to him. Does not avoid dwellings and bright light. Therefore, all measures must be taken to ensure that the neighborhood with this insect is peaceful and safe. Do not panic if you are bitten by a phalanx. Unlike other arachnids, this insect is not poisonous.
The phalanges are very similar in appearance to spiders, they have the same shape of the limbs, and they are located on the body of the phalanges, just like spiders.
In addition, phalanges, like spiders, have mouth appendages, called chelicera, in the form of pincers. But phalanges are not spiders, although they are part of the arachnid class.
Phalanges are also called solpugs, they can reach quite large sizes - about 5-7 sentiments.
Phalanges are predators that hunt at night. They feed mainly on termites and small beetles, but large individuals can attack lizards, so it is considered that phalanges are omnivorous animals.
It is noteworthy that when it attacks the enemy, it makes frightening loud sounds. The sound is obtained when chelicerae touch and rub against each other. Due to the special structure of the body, the phalanges are very mobile. Some individuals can move at a speed of 16 kilometers per hour. Due to this ability in English, this species is called "wind scorpion", which translates as "wind scorpion".
The favorite habitat of the phalanx is desert areas with an arid climate. Therefore, they most often live in the world's great deserts. These creatures can be found in the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the Lower Volga region, Central Asia, Kalmykia and Kazakhstan. They also live in the southern part of the Crimean Peninsula. In addition, phalanges live in the European part of the mainland - in Greece and Spain. Surprisingly, these arachnids are practically absent in Australia.
A large salpuga can easily bite through human skin. That is why phalanges are dangerous to humans, although they do not have poison, like spiders and devices for injecting it under the skin, the remains of tissue from previous victims often accumulate in their jaws. These residues rot and are therefore toxic and poisonous. If these toxins enter an open wound during a bite, they can provoke not only a local inflammatory reaction, but also cause blood poisoning. Even if the bite does not cause any consequences, it is quite painful.
The phalanx order has several official names: Mycetophorae, Galeodea, Solifugae Sundevall, and Solpugida. In Russian, the most common names sound like solpugi and bihorki, and in English - sun scorpion, wind scorpion, sun spider and camel spider.