Solifuges are Wind Scorpions ans sun
spiders, what ever they are.
Solifugae O
The solifuges (or solpugids) are the wind scorpions and sun spiders showing a
curious mixture of primitive and derived arachnid characters. Most are
fast-moving, nocturnal raptors with a superficial resemblance to spiders.
The size ranges from a few millimeters to giants up to 7 cm long. Of 10
families only two, Ammotrechidae and Eremobatidae, occur in the western
hemisphere. The following account is of the ammotrechid, Ammotrechella stimpsoni, a species known
from Florida and the West Indies. It is nocturnal and feeds
on termites, as do most American species. Most solifuges eat insects but
some are known to consume lizards. Solifuges have very large chelicerae
and long, slender, leglike pedipalps. Most are very setose. The anterior
cephalothorax is covered dorsally by a carapace but its posterior segments are
free of the carapace and covered by individual tergites. The biarticulate
chelicerae are gigantic in comparison with the body. Pedipalps are long and leglike,
with an eversible adhesive tip. The first walking legs are antenniform
with a sensory role and are not used in locomotion. The abdomen is segmented
with tergites and sternites. There is no telson and no pedicel. They
differ from spiders, which they resemble, in their partially segmented
cephalothorax, segmented abdomen, and the absence of venom, silk glands or
spinnerets
Regards,
Alan Leishman
Alan Leishman, National Herbarium of NSW,
Botanic Gardens Trust, (part of NSW Department of Environment &
Conservation), Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW Australia 2000. Tel:
+61-2-9231 8166. Fax: +61-2-9241 2797. email: m("rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au","alan.leishman");">
-----Original
Message-----
From: Peter Madvig
[
Sent: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
12:43 PM
To: birding-aus
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] dictionary
Could someone please clarify, as my
Concise Oxford doesn't :-
Pearl-spotted Owlet (Africa) eat
insects, solifuges
(???), mice, small birds, reptiles and even bats.
Much appreciated, thankyou.
