Here's something you don't see every day: Pseudoscorpion w/ young

[Code Monkey]

At work this week in the midst of smashing a carpenter ant nest apart with a sledge hammer and hatchet I noticed something I had only seen once before in my life, a pseudoscorpion (and the last one I saw was a species you needed a microscope to see). This one was about 2 mm in length. Then I noticed something that made it completely unique: a clutch of eggs held under its abdomen.

Today when I went to see if I could get some photos I discovered something even newer to my experience - baby pseudoscorpions. Unfortunately my macro is not the best but this one pic turned out pretty good, enjoy.

 

[Cooper]

That is really cool. I used to catch tiny pseudoscorpions all thetime in the empty lot next door under rocks and keep them in a empty vials with a folded piece of cardboard. I fed them half crickets. They just ate the juices. a couple times I got babies, but I just decided not to keep the anynmore because they were so small!!!

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I've never heard of pseudoscorpions. Are they like tailess whip scorpions? Or are they something else?

Jon

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Big Dragonfly
I've never heard of pseudoscorpions. Are they like tailess whip scorpions? Or are they something else?

Something else. They're in their own family: Pseudoscorpionidae. They are typically found in stuff like leaf litter, rotting logs, etc. where they feed on arthropods even smaller than themselves.

This is link with a decent overview: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg375.html

EDIT: mysteriously bad link :? fixed courtesy of neveragain pointing it out

 

[neveragain]

That link didnt work, I found address for it though. http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg375.html

 

[wsimms]

Originally posted by Code Monkey
At work this week in the midst of smashing a carpenter ant nest apart with a sledge hammer and hatchet I noticed something I had only seen once before in my life, a pseudoscorpion (and the last one I saw was a species you needed a microscope to see).

.

Wow!
I haven't seen one since I was a kid and took a tour of an entymologist's lab. Are you keeping them?

W

 

[Immortal_sin]

oh how cool!
They sure are tiny though!
Did you take them to the lab?

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Immortal_sin
Did you take them to the lab?

Nah, turned them loose in my roach bin. The conditions are right and they ought to have a field day eating any mites in there.