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Re: Project Exploration (sun spiders)


The common names sun spider, solifuge, and solipugid are all fine in my opinion, but "wind scorpion" is an unfortunate misnomer. Actually "wind pseudoscorpion" would be a very accurate common name, but that is sort of a mouthful. :-)
They range in size from about half an inch up to around 2 inches. But unlike some tarantulas, these nasty arachnids would definitely not make good pets.
Sun spiders are closely related to pseudoscorpions, whose common name at least makes it clear that there is only a vague resemblance to scorpions. Anyway, both solipugids and pseudoscorpions are closer to spiders and mites than they are to scorpions, so "sun spider" is definitely preferable to "wind scorpion".
-------Ken :-)
P.S. I should add this to the list of reasons for recognizing Class Scorpionea (for scorpions and sea scorpions) separate from Class Arachnidea. "Sea scorpion" is definitely a valid common name for eurypterids, since the similarity to scorpions actually turned out to be due to close relationship.
******************************************************** 
From: Danvarner@aol.com
Reply-To: Danvarner@aol.com
To: conradjack@hotmail.com
CC: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: Project Exploration comes home
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 11:56:55 EST

In a message dated 12/11/00 8:32:06 AM Pacific Standard Time,
conradjack@hotmail.com writes:

<< One particular picture is of
an arachnid called a solifuge. When you put the cursor on the picture, the
word "no T.V." come up. We kept some gladiator solifuges and fed them for
entertainment in Gadoufoua. >>

  The photo Jack is talking about is at:
http://www.projectexploration.org/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Saha

ra&image=solifuge.jpg&img=&tt=img
The cool thing is you can send it as a postcard! I've also heard them
called Solpugids and wind scorpions. The members of the Polish-Mongolian
expeditions used to keep a wary eye out for them. Folklore had it that they
were very poisonous. How big were these, Jack? I had a little one appear in a
screen I was using for sifting once in South Dakota.
Someday, the horror movie industry is going to discover these. The way they
use their huge mandibles is very distressing. DV 
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