#Solifuges
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piotr-naskrecki.bsky.social
Some of the coolest and perhaps most under-appreciated African carnivores are solifuges. The ferocity of these incredible arachnids, a.k.a. camel spiders or sun spiders, easily matches that of the wild dogs and, just like the canines, they can dismember their prey in a matter of seconds.
February 17, 2025 at 3:16 PM
cesar-umbrage.bsky.social
#insectember day 10: galeodes araneoides
a sun spider sun goddess :D, i really like solifuges actually, was a bit tough to make them anthro in my style tho ToT

available for €30 on my vgen shop 🪲
vgen.co/cesar-umbrage/shop

[ #insectember2026 #bugoc #bugart #adoptable #insect ]
September 10, 2026 at 9:27 PM
vomits.bsky.social
I have many but my faves are my first two solifuges!
April 14, 2026 at 8:09 PM
trenchkaiju.bsky.social
I think a good way to redesign Abaddon, or any other "jawed spider" design is to take inspiration from uropygians and solifuges and have the pedipalps act as a faux jaw
October 23, 2024 at 3:05 PM
flame.dog
So were you the kid who got congratulated for saying the scientific name for spiders is arachnids?

Or were you the kid cursed with the knowledge that scorpions, harvestmen, solifuges, ticks, mites, vinegaroons, pseudoscorpions, and whip spiders are all arachnids but not spiders?
July 16, 2026 at 11:19 PM
bug-gwen.bsky.social
Solifuges are a great example of "WTF Evolution??". A face that is a can-opener, a body that's a trashbag with spindly legs. And yet these ferocious little predators are beautiful in their own way (also Piotr's photos are amazing, follow asap).
piotr-naskrecki.bsky.social Piotr Naskrecki @piotr-naskrecki.bsky.social · Feb 17
Some of the coolest and perhaps most under-appreciated African carnivores are solifuges. The ferocity of these incredible arachnids, a.k.a. camel spiders or sun spiders, easily matches that of the wild dogs and, just like the canines, they can dismember their prey in a matter of seconds.
February 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
xercessociety.bsky.social
Soli-what? Soli-who? Solifuge! On this #BugBanterPodcast, we are joined by Dr. Paula Cushing from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to meet these mysterious animals!
Audio & transcript 📻 xerces.org/bug-banter/s...
Video w/ captions 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwN6...
Speedy, Hairy, and Harmless: Solifuges | Bug Banter Podcast
In this episode, we are going to explore the world of arachnids, but not the spiders you likely imagined after I said that. Nor ticks, nor mites, nor scorpions. No, today we are focusing on solifuges....
xerces.org
March 19, 2026 at 10:00 PM
bugpix.bsky.social
Got to meet my first Sun Spider (Eremobates[?]) over the weekend!

They were a very speedy little friend, but kind enough to let me get a decent photo before skittering off into the night.

#entomology #arachnology #arachnid #sunspider #solifuges
June 9, 2025 at 8:39 PM
tjalamont.bsky.social
--processing and using all that sensory input. It's mind blowing. Oh, and don't forget the jaws (chelicerae). In Solifuges each chelicera is an independently-operated, sharp, well-muscled pincer, like a crab claw - excellent for slicing and dicing whatever bug you catch.

Crazy bugs. I love them.
A macro photo at ground level, looking into the face of an arachnid called a camel spider or wind scorpion, on orange desert sand. The face and legs are covered in bristly hairs. There is a pair of small black eyes atop the head, and the large, paired chelicerae (jaws) have sharp, dark-orange tips.
October 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
azgibsonz.bsky.social
🤘😶‍🌫️ I would not normally share a crappy cellphone pic, especially from the wife's phone, but that was all I had on hand when I spied our first Camel Spider (aka Wind Scorpion) last night! 🕷️🌿

📖 Despite the common names, they are neither true scorpions nor true spiders. #InsectThursday #Invertebrates
Solifugae is an order of arachnids known variously as solifuges, sun spiders, camel spiders, and wind scorpions. The order includes more than 1,000 described species in about 147 genera. I could not tell you which one this is, but I did read they are not poisonous however they hurt like hell if they do take a bite. Horribly captured above is a camel spider about the size of your thumb.
May 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
ergabiodiv.bsky.social
Read this new ERGA-BGE #GenomeReport and celebrate the first-ever reference genome for a species in the order #Solifugae! 🎉 ➡️ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Want to learn more about the little known #Solifuges? Here is an interesting reference: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
December 6, 2024 at 10:07 AM
pallabi.bsky.social
Solifuges are elusive and fascinating. In this novel study, we investigated the role of elongated sensilla on the 4th pair of legs of Solifuges using electrophysiology and behavioral responses. We tested air particle movement and air pressure stimuli in some creative ways.
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of elongated solifuge sensilla to mechanical stimuli - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
A fundamental understanding of animal sensory systems is crucial for comprehending their interactions with the environment and with other conspecifics. However, knowledge gaps persist, particularly in...
doi.org
February 5, 2025 at 9:41 PM
tjalamont.bsky.social
--arachnids have eight legs, but Solifuges look like they have ten. However, the first pair of appendages are not legs but pedipalps. They're sensory organs, plus they have suction-cup tips to help them grab prey (and climb smooth surfaces). Behind them is the first pair of--
A macro photo of an arachnid called a camel spider or wind scorpion, seen from the side on orange desert sand. The photo shows the front third of the animal, with a pair of long, leg-like appendages at the very front called pedipalps. Its orange, sharp, pincer-like jaws are also visible, and a pair of small black eyes atop its head.
October 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
twiangle13.bsky.social
It might actually be more that he wanted your shadow. Solifuges will "chase" humans to hide in their shadow from the sun.
June 23, 2025 at 2:42 AM
deathbypixelz.bsky.social
As I said, wisest of desert creatures. slay
Additionally, solifuges are voracious eaters. It's common for adult females to eat so much that they're temporarily unable to walk.
September 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM
wellreadnaturalist.bsky.social
Interesting and informative #entomology listening material for your enjoyment.

Thank you @xercessociety.bsky.social.
Speedy, Hairy, and Harmless: Solifuges
Podcast Episode · Bug Banter with the Xerces Society · March 17 · 42m
podcasts.apple.com
March 22, 2026 at 6:57 PM
paulbourdin.bsky.social
I remember these being called Solifuges!
November 25, 2025 at 7:08 PM
blueappaloosa.bsky.social
#Arachtober reminder that I have Solifuge keyrings and magnets in my Etsy store! They have a variety of names: sun spiders, camel spiders, and wind scorpions - but are neither spider nor scorpion. Solifuges are their own order of arachnid.

blueappaloosastudio.etsy.com

#SciArt #Invertebrate
Two 3d printed solifuge designs. On the left, tan body, gray abdomen, with a 1-inch keyring through the abdomen. On the right, reddish-brown body, gray abdomen, with a 1-inch keyring with key on it through the abdomen.
October 18, 2023 at 3:53 PM
azgibsonz.bsky.social
🌿 The bugs I share are few and far between...but I ran into "Windy" again! 🥰

📖Solifuges, aka camel spiders or wind scorpions, are fast, voracious predators with 8 legs and 2 body sections. They hunt ants, termites, and small mammals.

📸 "Windy" the wind scorpion 🕷️

#Invertebrates
#TheLittleThings
Going face on with 'Windy' the Wind Scorpion...Wind Scorpions aka Camel spiders are fast, hairy arachnids, known for their powerful, pincer-like jaws used for capturing and eating prey like insects, lizards, and small rodents. They have eight legs and two leg-like sensory appendages called pedipalps near their mouths, giving the appearance of having ten legs. These non-venomous creatures are tan or brown, grow up to 6 inches long, and are found in arid regions worldwide. ...by my unofficial Wind Scorpion-measuring estimate, Windy is about inch longer than the last time we met!
October 6, 2025 at 6:05 PM
amypteride.bsky.social
I love this arachnid due to how well its behaviors are known, and between its thermoregulatory behaviors & unusual life cycle it's a little weirdo among African solifuges!

#Cheliceratime
3/4
Like many solifuges, Metasolpuga picta is a sit-and-wait type of hunter, using its well-developed solifuge’s vibration sensing to detect prey. This system uses the many setae covering its body and the racquet organs (or malleoli), sensory organs unique to solifuges on their fourth legs, close to the ground where they can sense vibrations. When a prey is spotted, it uses like all solifuges its huge chelicerae to inflict an extremely powerful bite that firmly maintains its food while chewing it. Interestingly, M. picta also uses sometimes its pedipalps to redirect its prey while holding it. This animal seems to be a generalist hunter, feeding on many types of insects that can be found across the scarce prey supplies of the Namib: mainly soft-bodied ones like crickets, termites, larvae, roaches or silverfish. It can also be a prey itself for larger arachnids like huntsman spiders, and numerous raptors. The species is kinda famous among solifuges for its thermoregulation behavior. Most of these arachnids tend to be nocturnal, avoiding the sun and reserving activity periods when the heat is less deadly (hence the name solifuge meaning “which flee the sun”). M. picta, on the contrary, is a fully dirunal species, a behavior that could have led to some ecological niche partitioning, allowing different solifuges’ species to coexist at different times of the day. This particular lifestyle imposes extreme heat on the arachnid. Even tho this species is thermophile and is most active at temperatures comprised between 40-50°C (less than 20°C inducing lethargy), 55-60°C can be stressful for the animal’s body. It has been observed to raise its opisthosoma in such conditions, a behavior sometimes associated with defense, but that here seems to evacuate excess heat, a thermoregulatory behavior already known among scorpions. Like a lot of solifuges, this arachnid digs burrows to hide and reproduce. Although the burrowing style is pretty similar to solifuge’s average (using the second pair to dig and chelicerae to push debris for example), this species seems to be picky regarding the compactness of the soil (they are unable to burrow in loose sand) & the presence of rocks & plant material. They have also been observed to make themselves at home in pre-existing burrows, sometimes returning several times in a row to the same burrow. Burrows are important in their daily life since reproduction occurs in females’ burrows, and also serve as hiding spots during the night, leaving other species the ecological niche of “nocturnal solifuge”. Like a lot of solifuge, it’s hypothesised this species doesn’t live more than a year. However, when compared to other african solifuges, this species is a bit one of a kind regarding its life cycle. Most solifuges reproduce once a year & exhibit a strong influence of seasonality on their life cycle, with a peak of young individuals during southern summer. Metasolpuga picta, on the contrary, reproduces twice a year: first during southern spring (September-October) and again in late southern summer (February-April). Younglins hatch a month or so later and are quickly autonomous and seem to not have a fixed adult size to reach.
March 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM
amypteride.bsky.social
After joking about pseudoscorpions being carcinized arachnids, I think I have a whole new field that just oppened with the termites & solifuges look

Like for real I was drawing a solifuge and when I checked on the drawing I was like "wait wtf since when did I drew a termite ?!?"
A picture of a termite soldier with huge mandible & head A picture of a black solifuge resting on someone hand
February 3, 2026 at 6:47 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Yep, some more variation here:
solifugae.org/anatomy
Anatomy and Morphology of Solifuges
solifugae.org
July 4, 2025 at 12:29 PM
theradicalkanji.bsky.social
I was about to say "we have sun spiders here. And those look a lot like that"
But then I decided to look it up.
It's the same thing.
Wikipedia article snippet Solifugae Solifugae is an order of arachnids known variously as solifuges, sun spiders, camel spiders, and wind scorpions. The order includes
September 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
krow1994.bsky.social
I've seen your spider and scorpion policies in the replies, what about solifuges?
May 16, 2026 at 10:10 PM
lynxspider.bsky.social
And now I'm even more jealous! Solifuges are right up there with my favorite animals. (I really need to post my photos of the one I've ever seen -- in my front yard in coastal southern California, of all places.)
June 24, 2025 at 9:30 AM