Pseudoscorpion

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Image Credit: Skip from Stillwater, NY

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Image Credit: David P. from UK

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Image Credit: Robert C. from Rocky Mount, NC

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Image Credit: Robert C. from Rocky Mount, NC

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Image Credit: Sean M. from Carrot River, Saskatchewan

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Incredibly tiny Pseudoscorpions are harmless hitchhikers that usually go unnoticed.

Although they look like really small scorpions, Pseudoscorpions lack a tail or stinger. They have venom glands in their claws meant to kill tiny mites and springtails. They are so small, however, they pose no threat to humans and would require a magnifying glass in order to get a really good look at them and their prey.

Because they do not have wings, traveling long distances can be an ordeal. Their small size allows them to catch free rides on larger insects, like beetles and even flies, without notice.

Some species are blind, but even those with sight aren't able to see well. They use their claws like antennae, feeling and touching their surroundings to find their way around.

They do make their own silk , but not to spin webs or catch prey like a spider. Instead, they build cocoons in which they spend cold winters.

Pseudoscorpions can be found in a variety of places: between book pages, at the water's edge, in caves, woods, under rocks and maybe even in a house (bathroom, laundry room, etc.).

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Pseudoscorpioninda

Family:

Genus:

Species:

Identifying Information

Scientific Name:

Category: Pseudoscorpion

Size (Adult; Length): 3mm to 5mm (0.12in to 0.20in)

Colors: brown

Descriptors: pincers, spider, tailless, venomous, harmless, wingless

Territorial Map

Alaska

Hawaii

Prince Edward Is.

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Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)

Newfoundland and Labrador

Mexico

Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.

Pseudoscorpion ( )

Incredibly tiny Pseudoscorpions are harmless hitchhikers that usually go unnoticed.