General characteristics of the order Pseudoscorpionida
Small-sized creatures lead a secretive lifestyle, and therefore are difficult to study. The scientific world has not yet fully unraveled the essence of these arthropod inhabitants of the planet.
Among them there are galophiles, who choose the coast of the sea and oceans as their place of residence. There are troglobionts hiding in caves, rock crevices, and under scatterings of stones.
They live from 2 to 3 years. Science categorizes them according to their habitat. For example, the genus Neobisium settles on mosses and moist soils, but Chernes live under fallen leaves and tree bark.
Reproduction and nutrition
Scorpions are dioecious and viviparous insects. Moreover, in appearance and even size, it is difficult to distinguish a female from a male.
In total, from 5 to 20 small scorpions are born. Females take special care of their offspring - they carry the young on themselves. But there are cases when, when there was a lack of food, the female ate one or two cubs from the brood.
Insects are predominantly nocturnal. During the day, they hide from sunlight and heat in crevices between stones or in sandy burrows. And at night they come to the surface and quickly move in search of prey. The end of the abdomen with the poisonous needle is bent upward and forward when moving.
Being considered predators, scorpions eat other insects. The main diet is spiders, centipedes and small reptiles. Insects also attack young rodents. Deprived of food, adult scorpions are capable of devouring each other.
The tendency towards cannibalism, according to biologists, has contributed to the widespread distribution of these predators around the world - they can survive in almost any conditions.
The lifespan of a scorpion ranges from two to eight years.
Diet
A small predatory animal whose diet is quite varied. The main diet consists of springtails and other wingless small insects.
They easily hunt beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and domestic parasites - bedbugs and ticks. The larvae of the above insects are eaten with pleasure.
Some pseudoscorpions easily eat annelids, caterpillars, other arthropods, and ants. Synanthropes act as real orderlies at home, destroying domestic parasites.
Common types
The benefits and harms of false scorpions
In nature, these insects feed on fly larvae, ticks and small spiders; the diet of the book species is not very different. False scorpions living at home exterminate any small insects, these include book and dust louse, small bugs and mites. Thus, false scorpions can be called orderlies of bookshelves, because they destroy a lot of pests, which helps keep things in order, and protects people from allergic reactions and other troubles.
However, there are situations when the number of such insects increases rapidly, which causes a lot of concern to the residents of a small apartment. Although book dwellers will not bring any harm to humans, since they do not have poisonous reserves and do not emit toxic substances, they can be annoying with their mere presence. In this case, it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of insects in the house.
Book false scorpion / Chelifer cancroides
You can meet it on all continents of the planet, except Antarctica. Easily adapts to any habitat. Crawls into houses, outbuildings, and office premises. You can meet them in museums and libraries, where they crawl into books.
In wildlife, they settle under the rotten bark of trees, hide under leaves, and inhabit abandoned bird nests. They feed on springtails and hay eaters.
This is a small species that does not grow larger than 4 mm. It is very difficult to notice them among the books. Completely safe for humans. He simply cannot bite through the skin with his small claws.
Varieties
The book pseudoscorpio is a real book lover, he lives on bookshelves, in folders with
papers, under poorly glued wallpaper, in libraries, archives. You can find these insects by sweeping the dust. Compared to the size of the body, the scribe's claws look very large and massive. The book false scorpio is slow, but moves equally well in any direction. He lives in almost every house or apartment, but due to his secretive lifestyle, he does not catch the eye.
The book pseudoscorpion eats mainly small insects from the order of hay-eaters (for example, the book louse). Hay eaters live in the same place as false scorpions: in books, libraries, archives and other papers. Also, the book false scorpion is not averse to feeding on thyroglyphoid mites, small bugs and other small insects that live in our apartments. So this insect brings a lot of benefits to you and me.
Ayyalonia dimentmani
This species is named after the Israeli naturalist Dr. Chanan Dimentman. But the name of the genus was given at the place of their first discovery - Ayalon Cave.
Small in size, only 2.5–2.8 mm. There is no body pigmentation. During evolution, this cave species lost its organs of vision. But he easily navigates in the darkness of a limestone cave using his senses of touch.
It was first discovered and described by the famous arachnologist from Serbia, Bozidar Kurcin. In 2008, a new species was included in the classification of false scorpions.
By the way, on our website most-beauty.ru there is fascinating material about the TOP 10 most poisonous scorpions on the planet.
Tartarocreagris texana
Author:
The photo shows a resident of the American state of Texas. They lived in two caves in Travis County. American naturalists have conducted studies stating that the species is on the verge of complete extinction.
Belongs to the large family Neobisiidae. All life activities, nutrition, and reproduction take place in complete darkness. Therefore, they lack eyes, as well as a tail and sting.
It uses claws to capture small arthropods, which form the basis of its diet. These are small arachnids that do not grow more than 4 mm.
Aldabrinus aldabrinus
Wikipedia reports that this species has chosen to live on the eastern coast of the African continent as its habitat. They also moved to some islands of the Indian Ocean.
A large population lives in the Seychelles. They got their name from the Aldabra Atoll. They prefer to settle in open, dry areas.
They hunt insects. In moments of danger, they prefer to flee, hiding under stones, fallen leaves, and crevices in the soil.
Neobisium maritimum
A species that prefers a humid marine climate, and therefore settles on the sea coast. The habitat is quite extensive. Western regions of France, British Isles and Ireland. In this country they live only on the shores washed by Atlantic waters.
Hides between stones and in crevices of high coastal cliffs. There are 2 pairs of eyes on the cephalothorax. The body is divided into 12 equal segments.
The body color is a rich dark brown with an olive tint. The legs are greenish, but the claws are bright orange or brown. Adult arachnids do not exceed 3.3 mm in length.
Are they dangerous to human life and health?
This question is often asked after an entire family of insects has been completely exterminated by cleaning or a slipper, a broom and other “saving things”.
In fact, these bugs are only so scary in appearance; their small size and other food preferences make false scorpions absolutely safe for humans. There are, of course, pros and cons of living together with these insects. Pros or benefits of book false scorpions:
- These insects are real home orderlies. They feed on bugs that are harmful to humans, but they themselves are harmless arachnids. False scorpions eat ticks, book and dust lice, small beetles and other living creatures that apartment residents don’t even know about. Thanks to their pincers, they pierce the bodies of their victims and eat them in a spider-like manner.
- The diet of false scorpions not only frees the living space from harmful insects, but also eliminates allergens and other microparticles. The book specimen is small in size, and therefore all things remain in their places and do not affect a person’s life in any way, but there is much less dust. After all, what is dust? These are dead particles of human skin, all sorts of small insects and their metabolic products.
- Bookbugs reproduce only once a year, and therefore an invasion of beetles in an apartment is extremely rare.
- False scorpions do not attack humans; they are simply not interested in us.
Cons, aka harm from cohabitation with bookish false scorpions:
- These beneficial bugs kill insects and protect people from allergic reactions; their waste products can also cause unknown deterioration in health. So people with hypersensitivity to all things False Scorpio associate it with negative emotions and causing harm.
- If the apartment or house is large, then a small colony of book insects will not harm, but for residents of a one-room apartment, the annually increasing population will be very disturbing.
- Yes, false scorpions themselves will not attack, but if you accidentally touch him or tear out his walking leg, he may bite.
- The appearance can irritate or frighten a person, and therefore the proximity of beetles and nervous people must be excluded.
Silverfish in an apartment: how dangerous is it and how to get rid of it?
Garypus beauvoisi
A large pseudoscorpion has chosen the Mediterranean coast. They grow up to 7 mm. It is easy to identify by its characteristic color.
The body is reddish in color, but the head, limbs and claws are red. Meeting such a creature can be frightening, as they strongly resemble scorpions. Note that poisonous scorpions are also common in this region of the planet.
Hides in algae deposits, which are abundant on the coast. Adapted to withstand the ebb and flow of the tides.
Lifestyle of false scorpions
The pseudoscorpion is nocturnal. He is very secretive and does not like attention. You can only meet a spider in your bathroom at night, when the air is more humid. Frightened by the light, the spider presses its limbs to its body. A little later, the false scorpion extends its claws towards possible danger and begins to move funny. Like a scorpion, it can easily glide across the surface in order to hide in a secluded shelter.
False scorpions are creatures of microscopic size.
They are not poisonous and do not harm humans. Unlike their relatives, they do not even weave webs.
Garypus titanius
The largest of all false scorpions living on our planet. Grows up to 1.2 cm. Endemic to Bodsweinburn Island and Ascension Island.
Recent studies of the largest species of false scorpions have shown that they also live on other Atlantic islands. But so far this data has not been confirmed.
Leads a secretive lifestyle, hiding in crevices and under stones. Because of this lifestyle, it is very difficult to study his habits. Despite its menacing appearance, it poses no danger to humans.
Cheiridium museorum
Settled throughout Europe, including Russia. But most of them are in the UK. Prefers bookstores, libraries, antique shops. If you're a book lover, get ready to meet an unusual arachnid.
Interesting Facts
Let's finish the story about false scorpions on most-beauty.ru with a few scientific and funny facts about the unusual inhabitant of our amazing planet.
- Some of the most ancient living organisms on the planet. Fossil prints are found in Middle Divonian sediments. It turns out that they already lived on earth 370–380 million years ago.
- They got their complex, unusual scientific name because of the pedipalps, which end in massive claws. Take a closer look, aren't they scorpions, only very small ones?
- They move with the help of four legs. They usually move forward, but in moments of danger they can flee sideways, like a crab.
- After fertilization, the female weaves a cocoon around herself, and then releases two threads and suspends herself in the middle of the cocoon.
- Almost all terrestrial species have one or two pairs of eyes, but cave dwellers and those who live underground have no organs of vision.
- Representatives of such species navigate in space using hairs on their claws. With them they detect the slightest vibrations in the air and tremors on the surface of the earth.
- Aristotle, who first described these creatures, found them in the library among the scrolls. There, false scorpions hunted haymakers.
False scorpions
The arthropods of this species got their name due to the presence of grasping claws. Because of this feature, the false scorpion causes fear, but one should not be afraid of it, because it does not have poisonous glands, and its small size will not allow it to harm a person, even if the pest tries to attack.
What does it look like?
This is not a beetle, although from afar it can be mistaken for one. The false scorpion of those varieties that are common in Russia reaches a length of 3 mm, no more. Some individuals develop to large sizes: 7 mm, and sometimes 12 mm. However, such pests are found on other continents. There are 6 pairs of legs for movement. However, despite this feature, the arthropods of this order are still inactive.
The first pair of limbs resembles claws (called chelicerae). With their help, the pest feeds: it pierces the victim’s cover and then sucks out the internal organs. The second pair (pedipalps with claws) is used for grasping food. These limbs simultaneously perform the function of organs of touch. The remaining legs are used exclusively for movement.
The book scorpion can be identified by its pronounced claws. In size they usually correspond to the length of the body
The cephalothorax is protected by a shield on which the organs of vision are located. However, with their help, the pest can only distinguish between light and darkness, since the vision of false scorpions is poor and sometimes completely absent. The body is segmented, round in shape, dark in color. To move along vertical surfaces, the limbs have claws and suction cups.
The book scorpion can be identified by its pronounced claws. In size they usually correspond to the length of the rest of the body. Pests often move sideways, which makes them look like crayfish. Book pseudoscorpions and mites have similarities, but the former have much longer grasping limbs.
More about habitats and lifestyle
There are about 3,300 species of arthropods of this order. Depending on what species the pest belongs to, its habits, lifestyle and habitat are determined. False scorpions do not have strict requirements for choosing a territory for life, so they can exist in the desert and in the mountains, as well as in more comfortable conditions. Such pests are more common in tropical latitudes.
They choose hollows, pine needles, and caves for habitat. The false scorpion can also be found in human homes. Here arthropods inhabit books, which is facilitated by the flattened shape of the body. An alternative shelter is a storage room in the house.
Considering that these pests are inactive and have no means of protection, they prefer to settle in hidden corners where they can remain unnoticed.
Arthropods emerge from shelter at night. When meeting an enemy, they pretend to be dead, and their limbs are pressed to their body. Sometimes arachnids can extend large claws towards the source of danger, creating the appearance of intimidation.
Eating habits
The false scorpion prefers to eat insects: cockroaches, beetle larvae, flies. Another favorite food is ticks. Beetles, springtails, and young offspring of spiders are another component of the pests’ diet.
They feed on small inhabitants of houses and apartments: book and house beetles, dust mites, etc.
As you can see, these arthropods are capable of consuming various insects, dipterans, and their offspring. While eating, the false scorpion sucks out the insides of the victim, and then diligently cleans its claws of impurities.
How does reproduction occur?
An obligatory ritual is mating dances. In this case, arthropods rise on their legs and perform certain movements using their claws. With a life expectancy of 2-3 years, sexual intercourse occurs on average once a year. The female does not lay larvae; they attach to her body.
With a life expectancy of 2-3 years, sexual intercourse occurs on average once a year.
The development of the offspring occurs in a cocoon/nest, which arthropods build around themselves using pieces of paper, grains of sand, and plant particles. After the larvae appear, the female dies. Her body is used by the young as initial nutrition.
Bottom line
False scorpions in the apartment become a real problem. It’s not that they are dangerous, it’s just that their appearance evokes genuine fear. A natural question arises: how to get rid of unwanted neighbors. One of the effective methods is the use of chemicals that affect their nervous system, paralyze them, as a result of which the false scorpions die.
This concludes our article. So you found out who false scorpions are. The editors of most-beauty.ru ask you to write in the comments about whether you have ever met these amazing animals.
Interesting Facts
- The first extant description of pseudoscorpions was by Aristotle, who may have discovered them in library scrolls where they fed on hay-eaters. Robert Hooke, in his 1665 work, Micrographia, mentions certain "land crabs". A mention of a similar arthropod can be found in George Adams Sr.
- The oldest fossil organism, identified as a member of the order Pseudoscorpioideae, dates back to 380 million years ago (Devonian period). This fossil has all the characteristics of a modern pseudoscorpion, indicating that this order developed during the early days of the appearance of land animals.
- False scorpions living in a person’s home can be considered real orderlies of the apartment, freeing its inhabitants from the presence of various parasites, the existence of which the owners do not even suspect.
- It is not worth purposefully encouraging the growth of a colony of false scorpions; this may have the opposite effect when their molting products and excrement begin to create an allergenic background in the apartment.
- False scorpions are prone to phoresy - the unintentional use of various animals as vehicles. This happens when a hungry false scorpion attacks an object that is too large, for example, a fly, which flies away, carrying it with itself. It happens when, during the hunt for ticks that parasitize the bodies of animals and birds, false scorpions end up on their hosts and, thus, make forced migrations. The phenomenon of phoresy mainly applies to female pseudoscorpions, who feed especially intensively during the breeding season and attack large prey, which they are unable to defeat.
