Florida Whip Spider
The Florida whip spider (Phrynus marginemaculatus) is a flat, brown arachnid of the Florida Keys and the Caribbean, that hides in rock crevices and under bark. Whip spiders (amblypygids) are not spiders.
The Florida whip spider (Phrynus marginemaculatus) is a flat, brown arachnid of the Florida Keys and the Caribbean, that hides in rock crevices and under bark. Whip spiders (amblypygids) are not spiders.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Florida Whip 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.
Whips for Feeling
The first pair of legs is extremely long and whip-like, and covered in sensors that detect smell and touch. The animal walks on its other six legs and uses the whips to scout its surroundings in the dark.
Brains Behind the Whips
Whip spiders have large brain regions for processing smells and touch. In experiments, related species were able to return to their home shelters after being displaced, even when blinded.
Harmless
They have no silk glands and no venom. Spiny pedipalps trap insect prey. See Tanzanian Giant Whip Spider.
Florida Whip Spider at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phrynus marginemaculatus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Amblypygi |
| Family | Phrynidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Flattened arachnid with spiny grasping pedipalps and an extremely long, thin first pair of legs used as feelers; has no venom, silk, or tail. |
| Order | Amblypygi |
| Habitat | Florida Keys and the Caribbean |
See Also
- Tanzanian Giant Whip Spider — an African whip spider
- Variegated Whip Spider — another whip spider