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Amblypygi (Amblypygida)

Common names: whip spiders, tail-less whip scorpions, amblypygids

Probability of encounter: low

Quarantine importance: no known importance.  Whip spiders may look fierce, but are not venomous and do not appear to have the potential for outbreaks.  Some species are used in the pet trade and some may have small, threatened populations.

Similarity to mites: much larger than mites and with clear opisthosomal segmentation.  More likely to be confused with spiders.

Morphology

 

Normal adult length: > 20 mm
Body tagmata: prosoma, opisthosoma
Eyes: 3 + 2 + 3 arrangement of ocelli
Antennae: absent
Mouthparts: 2-segmented fang-like chelicerae; robust, spiny-raptorial palps
Legs: 4 pairs; legs I antenniform
Distinguishing features: segmented opisthosoma, stabbing chelicerae, 'tail' absent, pedicel (waist), whip-like legs I with subdivided tarsi

 

Diversity: 5 families, 17 genera, >136 spp.

 

References

 

Harvey, M.S.  2003.  Catalogue of the smaller arachnid orders of the World.  CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria

 

Weygoldt, P.  2000.  Whip spiders.  Their biology, morphology and systematics.  Apollo Books: Stenstrup.