Phalanx spider (salpuga): an arthropod that tears apart its victims. Phalanx spider. Lifestyle and habitat of the Phalanx spider Is the Phalanx spider poisonous or not?

The Latin name for representatives of the arachnid order “Solifugae” means “running away from the sun.” Solpuga, wind scorpion, bihorca, phalanx - different definitions of an arthropod creature that only looks like, but belongs to omnivores. This is a real predator, encounters with which can result in painful bites.

Salpuga spider

There are many fables about salpugas. In the South they are called hairdressers because they believe that the underground nests of the inhabitants are lined with the hair of people and animals, which are cut by powerful chelicerae (oral appendages).

Description and features

Central Asian predators are found approximately 5-7 cm long. Large, spindle-shaped body. On the cephalothorax, protected by a chitinous shield, there are large bulging eyes. The eyes on the sides are underdeveloped, but react to light and movement of objects.

10 limbs, body covered with hair. The front tentacles-pedipalps are longer than the legs, they are very sensitive to the environment, and serve as an organ of touch. reacts instantly to approach, which makes him an excellent hunter.

The hind limbs are equipped with claws and suction cups, allowing them to climb vertical surfaces. The running speed is up to 14-16 km/h, for which the spider is given the nickname of the wind.

I wonder what salpuga structure in general, it is very primitive, but the tracheal system in the body of a predator is one of the most advanced among arachnids. The body is yellow-brown, sometimes whitish, with long hair. individuals of dark color or variegated coloring are rare.

Frightening tentacles and fast movements create a frightening effect. Solpuga in the photo looks like a small shaggy monster. The hairs on the body vary. Some are soft and short, others are rough and spiky. Individual hairs can be very long.

The main weapon of the predator is large chelicerae with pincers, reminiscent of crab claws. Salpuga is distinguished from other spiders by its ability to bite through a human nail, skin, and small bones. Chelicerae are equipped with a cutting edge and teeth, the number of which differs among different species.

Lifestyle and habitat

Salpuga spider- a typical inhabitant of steppes, deserts of tropical and subtropical zones. Sometimes found in wooded areas. The main distribution area is South Africa, Pakistan, the North Caucasus, and Central Asian territories. Residents of Spain and Greece are familiar with nocturnal predators. This common species is familiar to all residents of hot places and deserts.

Most night hunters hide during the day in abandoned rodent burrows, among stones, or in their underground nests, which they dig with the help of chelicerae, throwing away the soil with their paws. They are attracted to light by a cluster of insects.

Therefore, they crawl towards the glow of the fire, the rays of a flashlight, towards the illuminated windows. There are species that are active during the day. In Spain, such sun-loving representatives were called “sun spiders.” In terrariums, salpugs love to bask under the light of ultraviolet lamps.

The activity of spiders is manifested not only in fast running, but also in dexterous vertical movement, jumping over a considerable distance - up to 1-1.2 m. When meeting an enemy, salpugs raise the front part of their body, open their claws and point them towards the enemy.

Sharp and piercing sounds give the spider determination to attack and frighten the enemy. The life of predators is subject to the seasons. With the arrival of the first cold weather, they hibernate until the warm days of spring.

During the hunt, salpugs make characteristic sounds similar to grinding or a high-pitched squeak. This effect occurs due to friction of the chelicerae to intimidate the enemy.

The behavior of animals is aggressive, they are not afraid of either humans or poisonous scorpions, they are even warlike towards each other. The lightning-fast movements of hunters are dangerous for victims, but they themselves rarely become someone's prey.

Transcaspian salpuga spider

It is difficult to drive out a spider that has run into a tent; you can sweep it out with a broom or crush it on a hard surface; this is impossible to do on sand. Bites should be washed with antiseptics. Salpugs are not poisonous, but they carry infections. If the wound becomes suppurated after a spider attack, antibiotics will be required.

Species

The salpuga order consists of 13 families. There are 140 genera, almost 1000 species. An army of thousands of predators is distributed on many continents, except Australia and Antarctica:

over 80 species – in the territories of America;
about 200 species - in Africa, Eurasia;
40 species – in North Africa and Greece;
16 species - in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam.

Common salpuga

Among the most famous types:

common salpuga(galeod). Large individuals, up to 4.5-6 cm in size, yellowish-sandy in color. The color of the backs is darker, gray-brown. The compression force of the chelicerae is such that the salpuga supports the weight of its own body. There are no poisonous glands. According to its distribution area, the common salpuga is called South Russian;
Transcaspian salpuga. Large spiders 6-7 cm long, brownish-red color of the cephalothorax, with a striped gray abdomen. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are the main regions of habitat;
smoky salpuga. Giant spiders, over 7 cm long. Black-brown predators are found in the sands of Turkmenistan.

Smoky salpuga

All spiders are not poisonous, however, meeting them does not promise pleasant moments even for local residents of regions where they are not rare inhabitants.

Nutrition

The gluttony of spiders is pathological. These are real predators who do not know the feeling of satiety. Large insects and small animals become food. The diet includes woodlice, millipedes, termites, beetles,...

Salpuga phalanx attacks all living things that move and correspond to its size until it collapses from overeating. In California, spiders destroy bee hives, cope with lizards, small birds and small rodents. The victims include dangerous scorpions and the salpugs themselves, who are capable of devouring their mate after intercourse.

Salpuga eats a lizard

The spider grabs its prey with lightning speed. To be devoured, the carcass is torn into pieces, and the chelicerae knead it. Then the food is moistened with digestive juice and absorbed by the salpuga.

After a meal, the abdomen grows significantly in size, and the excitement of the hunt subsides for a short time. Those who like to keep spiders in terrariums should monitor the amount of food, since the phalanges can die from gluttony.

Reproduction and lifespan

With the onset of the mating season, the pairs come together based on the alluring scent of the female. But soon the salpuga, carrying offspring in the oviducts, becomes so aggressive that it can eat its partner. Increased nutrition promotes the development of babies in the womb.

In a hidden burrow, following embryonic development, the first is the deposition of cuticles - eggs in which the babies have matured. The offspring are numerous: from 50 to 200 heirs.

Salpuga eggs

In the cuticles, the young are motionless, without hairs and signs of articulation. After 2-3 weeks, the babies become like their parents after the first molt, gain hair and straighten all their limbs.

The ability to move independently gradually develops into motor activity. Salpuga phalanx protects the young, delivers food until the offspring gets stronger.

There is no information on the life expectancy of representatives of arthropods. The fashion for keeping predators in terrariums has appeared recently. Perhaps close observation of the habitat of the phalanxes will open new pages in the description of this sandy inhabitant of the tropics.

Interest in unusual animals manifests itself in the appearance of computer game heroes, frightening and alluring images. Versus solpuga lives on the Internet. But a real predatory spider can only be found in wildlife.

The phalanx spider has several names - salpuga, bihorca, phalanx, camel spider, Solifugae - and is a rather unpredictable animal. Let's start with the fact that this is not a spider. Outwardly, they are very similar to spiders - the structure of the limbs, their location and the presence of chelicerae, which is why they are classified as arachnids. About 1000 types of phalanges are known.

The appearance of salpugs is quite unusual.

Their body length reaches 5-7 centimeters, but there are also small species that do not exceed 15 mm. Their entire long body is covered with numerous hairs and bristles, which give the salpug an even more menacing appearance.

Salpugs are very peculiar - their lifestyle and structure combine both signs of high development and primitive features. For example, the structure of their body and limbs is very primitive, and the tracheal system is the most developed of all arachnids.

One of the characteristics of a phalanx spider is powerful chelicerae. In the structure of each chelicera, there are 2 parts that are held together by a joint. As a result, the chelicera looks like a crab claw, as can be seen in the photo below. The chelicerae of the phalanx contain teeth, the number of which depends on the type of arachnid. The salpuga's chelicerae are so powerful that they allow it to cut off the fur and feathers of its prey, cut the skin and cut the bones of birds. When in danger, the phalanges squeak or chirp piercingly due to the friction of the chelicerae against each other.

The color of the phalanx spider is determined by its habitat, and salpugs live in desert and arid areas, so most species have a characteristic color in whitish, yellowish and brown tones. As an exception, variegated individuals are observed.

Phalanxes are typical inhabitants of desert, semi-desert and steppe regions with tropical, subtropical and slightly temperate climates. A few species of salpugs have adapted to the conditions of wooded areas. The distribution area of this family includes India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, the African continent, the countries of the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas. On the territory of post-Soviet countries, salpugs are found throughout Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and the Crimean Peninsula. There are no phalanxes only on the Australian continent.

Most species of camel spiders are active nocturnal. They wait out the heat of the day in shelters, which can be abandoned dwellings of small rodents, stone deposits or self-dug holes. Many individuals use one shelter for a long time, although some of the salpugs prefer to find a new place each time.

What does salpuga (phalanx) eat?

Salpuga spiders are typical predators and are characterized by pathological gluttony. Despite the fact that phalanges do not have poisonous glands, their diet includes large insects and even small animals.

Phalanxes are surprisingly voracious and indiscriminate in their eating. They can attack almost anything that moves and that they can handle. They can even eat termites, chewing the walls of their rather durable houses. Californian phalanxes ravage bee hives.

Fertilized female salpugs are especially voracious. During fertilization, the female is so inert that the male sometimes drags her along with him. But after intercourse, she becomes very active, and the male has to quickly run away from her so that the female does not satisfy her hunger with him.

The repulsive picture of the gluttony of the phalanges can be reproduced by keeping them in captivity. If the phalanx is given an unlimited amount of food, for example, insects are brought to it with tweezers, then it eats so much that the abdomen swells and may even burst. Such a phalagna, doomed to death, nevertheless continues to grab and eat food brought to it until the chelicerae stop moving. In nature, such cases are apparently excluded: an overfed phalanx with an enlarged abdomen loses the ability to chase prey before it becomes overly saturated.

Reproduction

During the mating season, the phalanx male uses the smell emitted by the female to find her, after which mating occurs. Then the male has to urgently hide. This is due to the fact that the “lady” begins to show signs of aggression and is able to eat her former “gentleman”.

Mating usually occurs at night. The female attracts the male with her scent. Fertilization occurs by the spermatophore method - the male releases a sticky spermatophore containing sperm, picks it up with the help of chelicerae and transfers it to the genital opening of the female.

A certain role is played by special appendages-flags on the male chelicerae. The process takes several minutes. During mating, the male behaves reflexively - if the female or spermatophore is removed, the male will still continue his actions, not noticing that now they have no meaning.

After fertilization of the salpug, the female begins to feed intensively and lays from 30 to 200 eggs in a pre-dug hole. The process of development of new individuals begins in the mother’s oviducts. Therefore, small phalanges soon appear, covered with a transparent, but durable and flexible film (cuticle).

The first days of the salpuga are motionless. They acquire the ability to move independently after the first molt, which occurs after 14-20 days. At the same time, the young animals begin to acquire hairs characteristic of this species. The mother stays with the cubs until they get stronger, and at first supplies them with food.

The life of camel spiders is subject to strict seasonality. With the onset of cold weather, the phalanges fall into deep hibernation and in this form survive unfavorable conditions.

“It’s interesting that when attacking, the phalanx intimidates the enemy with a loud sound produced by the contact and friction of the chelicerae against each other.

— Phalanges have other names, for example, “camel spider.” It is determined by the living conditions of the phalanges. And the specific shape of the body, which gives them the ability to move at speeds reaching 16 km/h and perform acrobatic jumps reaching 1 meter in height, served as the basis for the nickname “wind scorpion”.

— Feeding “pets” at home should be moderate, since phalanx spiders kept in captivity can absorb food endlessly. There were even cases of their death from overeating.

— A large salpuga can easily bite through human skin. That is why the phalanges are dangerous for people, although they do not have poison, like spiders and devices for injecting it under the skin; remnants of tissue from previous victims often accumulate in their jaws. These residues rot, so they are toxic and have a poisonous effect. If these toxins enter an open wound during a bite, they can provoke not only a local inflammatory reaction, but also cause blood poisoning. Even if the bite does not cause any consequences, it is very painful.

— The exact number and frequency of molting of the phalanx spider is still unknown to science. There is also no substantiated information regarding the life expectancy of salpugs.

Phalanx vs Black Scorpion (commentator burns)

In other countries, they are best known as the “camel spider” (due to their desert habitat) or the “wind scorpion” (due to their high speed of movement).

There are about 1000 species of them in the world. The character of these arachnids fully corresponds to their appearance. In addition, they are extremely gluttonous. So in captivity, a phalanx can eat until it bursts, literally.

Phalanges, or salpugs, or bihorcae, or camel spider (lat. Solifugae) - an order of arachnids (Arachnida). They inhabit arid areas.

Phalanges are quite large arachnids. The Central Asian phalanx, for example, reaches a length of 5-7 centimeters. Their body and limbs are covered with long hairs. The pedipalp tentacles located in front are very similar to limbs and perform their function.

All phalanges are very mobile and almost all of them are nocturnal predators. Phalanges are carnivorous or omnivorous, feeding on termites, bees, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods, but can also eat larger animals such as lizards.

The appearance of salpugs is quite unusual.

Phalanxes are characteristic of desert areas.

On the territory of the former USSR, phalanxes were found in the Lower Volga region, Kalmykia, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the republics of Central Asia, and Kazakhstan. In Europe they are also known in Spain and Greece. They are found on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.

Phalanxes are mostly active at night. During the day, they hide in various shelters, under stones, in burrows of rodents and other animals, or they themselves dig holes with the help of chelicerae, throwing away the earth with their feet. Some use the same hole for a long time, others make a new den every night. Nocturnal species are attracted to a variety of light sources. In hot desert areas, phalanxes often come to the light of a fire, gather under lanterns, and penetrate into illuminated living quarters.

The phalanges are extremely voracious and eat a wide variety of animals that they can handle, mainly insects, as well as centipedes, spiders, woodlice, etc. They catch termites by gnawing through the walls of their buildings. Large phalanges attack small lizards, chicks of small birds, and young rodents.

In fights with scorpions, with opponents of equal size, the phalanx usually wins. The prey is grabbed with lightning speed, held tightly, torn and crushed by the chelicerae. Some species are known in California as hive ravagers. At night, having made their way through the entrance to the hive, the phalanx destroys a large number of bees. The bottom of the hive is covered with their remains, and the falagna with a swollen abdomen from the abundance of swallowed food is not able to leave the hive through the entrance. In the morning the bees sting her to death.

Interestingly, when attacking, the phalanx intimidates the enemy with a loud sound produced by the contact and friction of the chelicerae against each other.

Due to the specific shape of the body, the phalanges are extremely mobile and maneuverable. Some individuals are capable of reaching speeds of 16 km/h. This property determined the origin of one of the names of the species in English - “wind scorpion” (“Wind Scorpion”).

Phalanxes prefer arid climates and desert areas. Thus, they are most often found in the world's largest deserts. Surprisingly, phalanges are practically not common in Australia.

A large individual of the phalanx can bite through human skin and this makes the phalanx dangerous for people. The fact is that although the phalanges do not have glands that produce poison, and specific devices for injecting it, like their closest relatives - spiders and scorpions, fragments of previous victims often remain on their jaws, rotting and, as a result, very toxic. If it gets into an open wound due to a bite, the substances formed as a result of decomposition can cause both local inflammation and general blood poisoning. The bite of the phalanx itself, even without consequences, is an unpleasant and painful thing.

As an order, the phalanxes have the following scientific names: Solpugida, Galeodea, Solifugae Sundevall, Mycetophorae. Among the commonly used names of phalanges, it is worth noting the Russian variants - bihorki, salpugs - and the English ones - wind scorpion, sun scorpion, camel spider, sun spider.

Since phalanges are most common in desert areas, their color is suitable for such a habitat - sandy-yellow or brown-yellow, lighter species are also found. Several tropical species are brightly colored.

A special feature of salpugs is their powerful, developed tracheal system. The main tracheal trunks open with paired spiracles on the abdomen at the posterior edges of the second and third segments.

These arachnids are mostly active at night, but there are also sun-loving species. Most salpugs hide from daylight in shelters: under stones, in rodent burrows, or they dig their own burrows.

With the onset of the breeding season, the male finds the female using the olfactory organs on the pedipalps. Mating itself occurs at night. The male releases a sticky substance with spermatophores onto the soil surface, then picks it up with chelicerae and transfers it to the female’s genital opening. After this, it is better for him to get away quickly, since the female after fertilization becomes very mobile and aggressive, and can eat the male.

After some time, she goes to build a burrow, where she lays from 30 to 200 eggs. The development of embryos already occurs in the female’s oviducts, so small salpugs soon appear from the laid eggs. Until the first moults, they are practically motionless. But after that, their new integuments become dismembered and harden, and hairs appear on the body. The female stays next to the offspring until they get stronger. Some assume that she brings them food.

The repulsive picture of phalanges' gluttony can be reproduced by keeping them in captivity. If the phalanx is given an unlimited amount of food, for example, insects are brought to it with tweezers, then it eats so much that the abdomen swells and may even burst. Such a phalagna, doomed to death, nevertheless continues to grab and eat food brought to it until the chelicerae stop moving. In nature, such cases are apparently excluded: an overfed phalanx with an enlarged abdomen loses the ability to chase prey before it becomes overly saturated.

Phalanges, also known as salpugs (bihorci), are a fairly large order of arachnids, which number about a thousand species and live in arid regions around the world.

According to legends told by local residents, these arachnids, with the help of their huge “claws,” cut off the hair of people and animals, lining the floor in their burrow, and in Central Asia they are called “camel spiders” (because of their habitat - the desert) .

Image and life expectancy

Phalanges are nocturnal hunters, whose Latin name (Solifugae) translates as “running away from the sun.” During daylight hours, they prefer to hide in burrows or in the shade under stones. They can dig burrows themselves, using chelicerae (oral appendages), or occupy other people's shelters, for example, small rodents.

Like all arachnids, phalanges molt throughout their lives, but there is no exact data on the number of molts yet. In winter, they hibernate, and some species “fall asleep” in the summer in order to survive the too hot months. It is assumed that salpugs in the wild live up to 3-4 years.

They are distinguished by high speed and maneuverability; another name for this type of arachnid is associated with this ability - “wind scorpion”. They are able to move on a smooth vertical surface and can jump high (some large individuals jump up to a meter in height).

When encountering danger, they react instantly: they raise their forelimbs, pointing the open chelicerae forward, and begin a slow movement towards the enemy. Often, salpugs, when attacking, rub their chelicerae against each other, emitting loud sounds reminiscent of a squeak or crackle to intimidate the enemy.

Description and sizes of salpugs

The body length of salpugs depends on the species: the smallest adult salpugs grow to less than 1.5 cm, and the largest - up to 7 cm; males are usually smaller than females.

The color usually varies from sandy yellow to brown-yellow or brown, but in some tropical areas there are individuals that are very brightly colored, and tiny hairs cover the entire body and limbs.

A pair of bulging eyes is located at the front head shield. There are also eyes on the sides, but they are underdeveloped. A striking feature of their “appearance” is their very large chelicerae, which look like crab claws.

Each of the chelicerae consists of two parts, fastened to each other using a joint; on the surface of the chelicerae there are teeth, the number of which depends on the type of salpug.

Like all arachnids, it has 8 limbs, but the extra pair of “legs” is sometimes mistaken for the long pedipalps (tactile tentacles), which the salpuga often uses when moving.

What does the phalanx spider eat?

Phalanges are classified as carnivorous and omnivorous arachnids. They instantly grab the prey and, holding it tightly, tear it apart with very powerful chelicerae.

They feed on beetles, termites, small arthropods, and can also catch a lizard or small bird; they do not disdain carrion. In a fight with an adult scorpion, the phalanx most often emerges victorious.

With their chelicerae they cut off the hair and plumage of small birds and can crush thin bones. After such cleaning, the victim is strongly moistened with digestive juice and absorbed.

In America there lives one of the species of salpugs, which are called “hive ravagers”. At night, they sneak inside the hive and eat bees, after which they often cannot get back through the entrance (due to their swollen abdomen) and die from bee stings.

The phalanges are extremely voracious - sometimes they eat until its greatly enlarged abdomen bursts. Moreover, even when dying, the phalanx continues to absorb food for some time.

Reproduction and breeding of offspring

The male searches for a female using the olfactory organs located on the pedipalp tentacles. After finding a partner, the male releases a sticky substance containing sperm onto the ground, then, using chelicerae, transfers it to the female’s genital opening.

The mating process in salpugs occurs only at night; after fertilization is complete, the male must quickly go as far as possible, since an angry female can bite or even eat him. It is interesting that during mating, the male, performing a certain set of actions, does not stop, even if the female is removed from him.

The pregnant female phalanx herself is engaged in the construction of a shelter burrow, where she lays eggs, the number of which depends on the type and age of the female and can reach from 30 to 200 pieces. The eggs hatch into thin-shelled, immobile young.

In the second or third week of life, they moult and begin to move around. Salpuga protects her offspring until they are completely strong. There is an opinion that the mother even brings them food for the first time.

Are salpugs dangerous for humans?

It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. On the one hand, salpugs are non-poisonous: they do not have poisonous glands, and their digestive juice is also non-poisonous. At the same time, this arachnid, especially a large individual, can bite through the skin. Consequently, there is a danger of infection, since rotting food remains may remain in the wound.

Phalanx November 9th, 2013

Phalanges, or salpugs, or bihorcae, or camel spider (lat. Solifugae) - order of arachnids (Arachnida). They inhabit arid areas. Phalanges are quite large arachnids. The Central Asian phalanx, for example, reaches a length of 5-7 centimeters. Their body and limbs are covered with long hairs. The pedipalp tentacles, located in front, are very similar to the limbs and perform their function.

All phalanges are very mobile and almost all of them are nocturnal predators. Phalanges are carnivorous or omnivorous, feeding on termites, bees, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods, but can also eat larger animals such as lizards.

When attacked, the phalanx emit a piercing squeak or chirping sound by rubbing the chelicerae against each other.

Phalanxes are characteristic of desert areas. On the territory of the former USSR, phalanxes were found in the Lower Volga region, Kalmykia, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the republics of Central Asia, and Kazakhstan. In Europe they are also known in Spain and Greece. They are found on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.

Methods of struggle. Bee colonies are kept in dense hives, on stands. The entrance holes are barred.

Phalanges are nocturnal predatory animals. Their diet consists mainly of small beetles and termites, although there have also been cases of phalanx attacks on lizards, which allows them to be considered omnivores.

Phalanxes prefer arid climates and desert areas. Thus, they are most often found in the world's largest deserts. On the territory of the former USSR, phalanxes were found in the Lower Volga region, Kalmykia, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, the republics of Central Asia, and Kazakhstan. In Europe they are also known in Spain and Greece. They are found on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Surprisingly, phalanges are practically not common in Australia.