Caspian Camel Spider
The Caspian camel spider (Galeodes caspius) is a large solifuge of the deserts and steppes of southwest and Central Asia. Like other solifuges, it is neither a spider nor a scorpion.
The Caspian camel spider (Galeodes caspius) is a large solifuge of the deserts and steppes of southwest and Central Asia. Like other solifuges, it is neither a spider nor a scorpion.
๐งฌ Field Guide Specimen: Open Caspian Camel Spider in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Sun Spiders: Fast and Jawed
Solifuges have huge, pincer-like jaws (chelicerae) and move at remarkable speed. They hunt insects, lizards and small mammals at night. They lack venom, and rely on crushing power.
Racket Organs
Pairs of sensory organs called malleoli under the hind legs, which are unique to solifuges, probably detect chemicals or vibrations in the ground.
Another Desert Hunter
The group is found in deserts worldwide, except Australia and Antarctica. See Giant Camel Spider.
Caspian Camel Spider at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Galeodes caspius |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Solifugae |
| Family | Galeodidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Large tan, hairy desert arachnid with enormous forward-pointing two-part jaws and long leg-like pedipalps; runs down prey at high speed at night. |
| Order | Solifugae |
| Venom | None |
See Also
- Giant Camel Spider โ a related solifuge
- Iberian Sun Spider โ a European solifuge