I couldn't find anything related to this on here, so I figured I may post it?

[Ripa]

I was glossing through the web looking for places that may sell Phrynus marginemaculatus, and apparently amblypygids are more intelligent than we give them credit for?

http://www.researchgate.net/publica...ginemaculatus_C.L._Koch_(Arachnida_Amblypygi)

This makes me a bit more interested in getting an amblypygid for myself...

 

[Tenevanica]

Intelligence in invertebrates has always interested me. It's commonly thought that inverts only have a CNS so they can react to stimuli in order to stay alive, mate, etc. It is commonly believed that they have no form of intelligence like vertebrates do. It's especially more impressive considering that these animals don't even have fully formed brains, just networks of ganglia. Biology continues to amaze me...

 

[schmiggle]

I am quite sure my own whipspider has memorized the layout of her entire tank, and she is similarly confused when I change the setup. Really amazing, especially since they have only rudimentary vision!

 

[wizentrop]

This is a fascinating paper, and I hope more like these will be published in the future. The Hebets lab is doing some great Amblypygi research in Costa Rica.
I would not go as far as calling it intelligence, but I suspect whip spiders can construct a simple map of their surrounding area in their brain. This is just a hypothesis at this point, I do not have enough evidence yet to back this up.

There is still so much we need to learn about these cool arachnids, but consider this:
Some species (for example Heterophrynus batesii) occupy tree cavities and live communally. Every night they leave to search for prey, and in the early morning they go back to the *same* shared cavity. Assuming they have poor vision, they must memorize their path from and to the hiding spot.
Other species (like Heterphrynus alces) are extremely territorial and will interact aggressively with other members of their species. For these whip spiders, one trip down the wrong path could send an individual to its death - cannibalism is common in Amblypygi, especially if there is a size difference between the opponents. So here too they must have some way to memorize their area to avoid conflict and establish territories.