🐙 Cell & Organismal Biology
Iberian Sun Spider
The Iberian sun spider (Gluvia dorsalis) is the only solifuge in Europe, found in the dry, sunny parts of Spain and Portugal. It is a fast, pale, hairy arachnid.
The Iberian sun spider (Gluvia dorsalis) is the only solifuge in Europe, found in the dry, sunny parts of Spain and Portugal. It is a fast, pale, hairy arachnid.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Iberian Sun 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.
A European Rarity
Solifuges are largely animals of hot deserts, but this species ranges into the Mediterranean zone of Iberia. It hides under stones and in burrows by day and hunts at night.
Feeding
It runs down insects, spiders and other small animals, tearing them apart with its massive chelicerae. Sun spiders have no venom. See Giant Camel Spider.
Rarely Seen
Because of its nocturnal habits, even entomologists seldom encounter the species.
Iberian Sun Spider at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gluvia dorsalis |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Solifugae |
| Family | Daesiidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Small, fast brown arachnid of Iberian scrubland with massive pincer-jaws and pedipalps tipped with adhesive organs for grabbing prey. |
| Order | Solifugae |
| Range | Iberian Peninsula |
See Also
- Giant Camel Spider — a Middle Eastern solifuge
- Caspian Camel Spider — an Asian solifuge
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