Amblypygi
Amblypygi is an order of Arachnids also known as whip spiders or tailless whip scorpions.[1] The name 'amblypygid' means "blunt rump", a reference to a lack of the telson (tail). They are harmless to humans.
| Amblypygi Temporal range: Upper Carboniferous – Recent
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| Damon diadema | |
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| Order: | Amblypygi Thorell, 1883
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The Amblypygs are in the subphylum Chelicerata of the phylum Arthropoda. The order has 5 families, 17 genera and about 155 species. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Some species are subterranean; many are nocturnal. During the day, they may hide under logs, bark, stones, or leaves. They prefer a humid environment.
Amblypygi Media
Amblypygi - photo taken at the Cincinnati Zoo and *Biological Garden by Greg Hume
Parts of an amblypygid, from Pocock (1900)
Damon diadema mother carrying young
Comparing the front and back legs of an amblypygid
Like all arachnids, whip scorpions need to molt, so they can grow bigger. Here is a molting tailless whip scorpion coming out of its old exoskeleton. Most exoskeleton bearing Animlas loose their pigmentation when molt. The newly created pigment-less exoskeleton is soft and the usual dark color will be formed after hours of molting.
Notes
- ↑ not to be confused with whip scorpions that belong to the arachnid order Thelyphonida