Phalanx spider. Description and photo of the phalanx spider (camel spider, salpuga) Life and reproduction

Solifugae or phalanx spider is the common name of the order to which about a thousand species of arachnids belong.

There are other common names for the animal, it is called camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider, phalanx.

Solpuga

It is more correct to call this detachment phalanxes. Because of its appearance, the question may arise as to why the phalanx spider is dangerous.

The phalanx spider inhabits desert areas of the Earth; it is not found only in Australia.

The order of these spiders is distinguished by some features - their lifestyle and structure combine features of high and primitive levels of development.

Phalanx spider in the desert

Primitive features include the type of body division and the structure of the legs. At the same time, they have a very developed tracheal system.

The phalanx camel spider is found in the following regions of the former Soviet Union:

Kalmykia;
Lower Volga region;
North Caucasus;
Central Asia;
Transcaucasia;
Kazakhstan.

In the European part, the spider can be found in Greece and Spain. For the most part, phalanx spiders are predators at night, love hot and dry climates, and move at high speed. Some subspecies lead an active daily lifestyle. There is a misconception that salpuga is dangerous to humans.

Appearance

It is interesting to know what a phalanx spider looks like. The body of the animals is long, like for an arachnid, it can reach 7 cm in length.

There are very small specimens, up to 15 mm. From people who have met the salpuga, you can hear a description of the phalanx spider as a terrible, even threatening animal.

Phalanx spider appearance

They got this appearance thanks to numerous bristles and hairs covering the entire surface of the body.

In the photo and descriptions of the phalanx spider you can see that most of its representatives have a brown-yellow, sandy-yellow and light yellow color. This feature is dictated by the influence of the arachnid’s habitat. In the tropics there are specimens with bright colors.

Structure

Most phalangeal spiders are large in size. The head and thoracic region are dismembered from the body. The front part of the chest is covered with a chitinous durable shield.

There are also two eyes, oral appendages called chelicerae, equipped with strong claws, pedipalps and legs with which the spider moves. Salpugs have ten legs.

The pedipalps in front are very sensitive and are a tactile organ for the spider. Any movement noticed causes him to react, making him an excellent hunter. The structure of the salpuga gives it the ability to climb vertical surfaces - all thanks to its hind limbs equipped with suction cups and claws.

The camel spider has a spindle-shaped abdomen, consisting of ten segments of a complex structure. Each segment is covered by a hard dorsal and abdominal part, they are connected to the cephalothorax in such a way that it resembles a waist. Tracheal breathing consists of developed longitudinal organs and small vessels, the walls of which have a spiral thickening.

The body of the phalanx spider is covered with many fine bristles and hairs. Its impressive size, speed of movement, and terrifying cover make the sun spider a formidable hunter, capable of instilling fear in a person.

Structure of the salpuga body

The salpuga phalanx spider can make squeaking or grinding sounds - by rubbing its chelicerae, it intimidates the enemy.

Chelicerae represent a characteristic feature of this arachnid. They have a powerful structure, consisting of two parts, fastened together by a joint.

Externally, these mouthparts resemble crab claws. The teeth are located on them; the number of teeth depends on the type of salpuga. The salpuga bites with strong, strong chelicerae, cutting skin, feathers, wool, and sometimes bones.

Life and reproduction

The camel spider prefers to mate at night. A special smell emanates from the female, signaling to the male that she is ready.

In this process, the salpuga is helped by chelicerae - with their help, the male transfers the spermatophore into the opening of the female’s genital organ.

The whole process occurs at a reflex level - the male continues his actions even if the female has left him.

At the end of mating, the fertilized female begins to look for additional sources of food, laying eggs in a prepared burrow. The number of eggs in a clutch varies - from 30 to 200 pieces.

Salpuga egg laying

Small embryos begin their development while in the spider's oviducts. Very soon young individuals appear, covered with a durable, transparent film.

For about two weeks, the hatched spiders do not move - this ability appears in them after 15-20 days, when the first molt takes place. At this time, the young animals develop characteristic bristles. At first, the mother is constantly near the cubs, feeding them until they get stronger and begin to get food on their own.

Sun spiders are dependent on weather conditions and seasonality. The cold forces them to hide, hibernate and wait for warmth.

Food and habitat

Where does the phalanx spider live?

Salpuga is common in steppe, semi-desert and desert areas in:

temperate climate;
subtropical climate;
tropical climate.

There are some species that live in wooded areas. The phalanx camel spider lives in Pakistan, India, Bhutan, the African continent, the countries of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkans.

Salpuga is active at night, during the day, during the heat, it hides in shelters - abandoned rodent burrows, among stones, dug shelters.

Another characteristic feature of the wind scorpion is that it is incredibly gluttonous.

Salpuga jaws

The absence of poisonous glands does not deprive the spider of the opportunity to feed on large insects and small animals.

Phalanxes are striking in their indiscriminate eating habits - they are capable of attacking and eating everything that crawls nearby. They are able to attack termites by gnawing through the walls of the termite mound. Spiders in California are attacking bee hives.

Females are especially voracious. During the fertilization process, they do not show any initiative. As soon as the process ends, she begins to search for food with particular greed, not missing the opportunity to satisfy her partner’s hunger.

The gluttony of spiders can be judged by the way they eat everything they are given in captivity. If it is not limited in its diet, the phalanx will eat until its abdomen ruptures.

Salpuga caught a lizard

In this state, he continues to eat until death. In natural habitats, this behavior is not observed, since the too large size of the swollen abdomen deprives the spider of the opportunity to move further and look for food.

Danger to humans

The phalanx attacks a moving object, even if it is much larger in size. A person does not appear to him as something frightening.

Salpuga on the leg

Tourists who decide to spend a few days outdoors in tents should be careful - salpuga can come visit at night.

How dangerous is the phalanx spider to humans? It is not a poisonous arachnid. A spider bite can be dangerous to people. Powerful jaw chelicerae are capable of biting through human skin.

Rotting fragments of the eaten victim may remain on the salpuga's jaws. During a bite, there is a chance that these fragments will get into the wound, causing serious inflammation.

Conclusion

There is a lot of information regarding salpugs, which often turns out to be untrue.

Despite their menacing and, for some, disgusting appearance, spiders do not pose a serious threat to humans.

Video: Amazing spiders - salpuga

Salpugs, or phalanges, belong to the order Arachnida. Translated from the Latin Solifugae, these amazing arachnids are called “running away from the sun,” which is not entirely true. There are also quite sun-loving salpugs.

In fact, salpugi, or bihorki, are common Russian names. These rather large arachnids have several scientific names: Solpugida, Solifugae Sundevall, Solpugae, Mycetophorae, Solpugides, Galeodea. In England they are called wind scorpions, or wind scorpions.

Description of the insect

Salpugs are a very peculiar order. Their structure and way of life are a combination of primitivism and signs of high development.

Appearance

Basically, salpugs have quite impressive shapes. Their sizes are 5–7 cm. A very small part of the species has a body length of no more than 1–1.5 cm. The color prevails in brown-yellow, sandy-yellow and whitish tones. It is much less common to find a mottled or dark species. Salpuga has a dismembered cephalothorax. On the anterior section, protected by a large head shield, there are pedipalps, chelicerae and forelegs. Large chelicerae have swollen main segments and powerful, forward-directed claws. They are able to open vertically, and there are strong teeth on the inner edges of the fingers. The structure of the pedipalps is similar to the legs, but lacks claws. They are replaced by a tactile appendage. The pedipalps not only perform motor and tactile functions, but also, with the help of strong bristles, grasp and hold prey. Pedipalps are also used by males during copulation.

The dissected segments of the second, third and fourth pairs of legs have individual tergites. The legs are different in structure. The front ones are short and thin, perform the function of touch. The remaining legs are equipped with claws and are organs of movement. The longest legs are the hind legs. They have from two to five pairs of peculiar triangular, lamellar organs - maleoli. They are distinguished by numerous sensilla and sensory cells, which are combined into a nerve through processes. A characteristic feature of the head shield is a clearly visible ocular tubercle with two convex eyes. A distinctive feature is the underdevelopment of the lateral eyes. On the lower surface of the cephalothorax, the triangular coxae of the pedipalps and walking legs are clearly visible.

The abdomen, consisting of ten dissected segments, is large and fusiform in shape. With the help of the pregenital segment, the abdomen has articulation with the cephalothorax. A characteristic feature is a very powerful and well-developed tracheal system. Salpugs have a body and appendages covered with hairs and bristles. One part of the hairs and bristles is very soft, the other part is thickened or spiny. There are hairs and bristles that stick out singly or are very long.

Reproduction

The genital opening in salpugs is a longitudinal slit on the first segment of the abdomen. It is covered with side flaps. Most often, the mating period occurs in the dark. The male identifies and finds the female by smell. At the moment of mating, the female becomes absolutely motionless, and the male is active. Fertilization is spermatophore. The entire mating process takes a few minutes: the male releases a sticky spermatophore containing spermine. Then from the surface of the soil it is transferred with the help of chelicerae to the genital opening of the female.

The fertilized female gains mobility, aggression and gluttony. Immediately after feeding, the female digs out a small depression that widens at the bottom.

The entire process of embryonic development occurs directly in the oviducts.

The eggs laid in the burrow hatch into babies within a very short period of time. They cannot move and have a special covering of transparent cuticle. After two weeks, the first molt occurs and the young salbuga becomes covered with hairs and acquires motor activity. The female protects the young and feeds them for quite a long time. The life expectancy and total number of moults in salpugs still remains a mystery.

Nutrition

The extremely voracious salpugs feed on a variety of animals. The main condition is the ability to cope with your victim. The main food sources used are insects, centipedes, spiders, wood lice and termites. Large individuals can attack small lizards, as well as chicks of small birds and young rodents.

The caught prey is grabbed with lightning speed and held tightly. Then the salpuga tears it apart, kneads it with the help of chelicerae, moistens it abundantly with digestive juice and sucks it up. Having eaten, the salpuga significantly increases in size in the abdominal area and completely loses the ability to catch prey.

Habitat

Solpugi inhabited the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula, the Lower Volga region, including the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, as well as Kalmykia. Habitat is the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the republics of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. They are common in Spain and Greece. Salpugs are absent only in Australia and Antarctica.

The activity of these animals increases in the dark. In daylight, salpugs take refuge under stones, in burrows of rodents or other animals. Sometimes they independently dig holes with chelicerae, and throw away excess soil with their feet. The same hole can be used for quite a long time.

Nocturnal salpugs are attracted to a variety of light sources. The places where they accumulate are illuminated rooms, residential buildings and places around street lamps. Most of all, salpugs love the radiation from ultraviolet lamps. However, there are species that enjoy sunlight. These include the Spanish solar and Central Asian Paragaleodes heliophilus.

Varieties

The order is represented by 13 families. This is about a thousand species and almost 140 genera. Most of them chose desert regions of the Earth, except Australia:

80 species are inhabitants of North and South America.
200 species - inhabitants of Africa, Europe and Asia.
40 species are inhabitants of North Africa, Greece and Asia.
16 species are inhabitants of South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia.
200 species are inhabitants of Africa and Iraq.

The common salpuga, or Galeodes araneoides, is an inhabitant of the European part. Widely distributed in the Crimea, southeastern steppes and the Caucasus. Quite large, up to five centimeters in length, and a fast running species. It has a pale yellow color.

The Transcaspian salpuga, or Galeodes caspius, is the most common species in Central Asia. Dimensions reach 6.5 centimeters. It is characterized by a brownish-red color and a grayish abdomen, as well as bearing dark stripes. The black-brown smoky salpuga, or Galeodes fumigatus, is an inhabitant of the sands of Turkmenistan. Body length is seven centimeters.

Benefits and harms

Salpugs not only move at high speed, but are also able to easily climb vertical surfaces and perfectly jump over quite a considerable distance. Large species are capable of jumping over a distance of more than a meter. When confronted with an enemy, she assumes a very intimidating pose: the anterior part of the body rises, and the chelicerae and open claws point forward. Some species are capable of making piercing sounds at this moment.

Despite the fact that there is no poison in the salpug’s body, all naturally occurring varieties bite quite noticeably and painfully.

Small species of salpuga and young individuals are not able to bite through human skin. However, adult individuals quite often bite through the skin of not only humans, but also animals.

Despite the high pain in the area, these arachnids do not have poisonous glands. Most often, collisions with them pass without any consequences. In rare cases, severe inflammation occurs. This is due to the presence of rotting remains of the previous victim on the chelicerae. When bitten, these residues enter the wound and cause various

These cute guys live in my house (yard) and garage all the time. It feels like an ancient species of arachnid. I sometimes feed them with caught blacksmiths. The insect does not enter into conflict and has never been bitten by me. They prefer to avoid danger. With the onset of darkness, they come under the light of a fire, street lighting, or wander into an illuminated garage to hunt for moths and other insects that flock to the light. They are very heavily destroyed by mice. The spider is completely harmless, although the sight of its jaws gives me goosebumps :-)

Unique creatures, very greedy and gluttonous. They differ in that they can eat until their belly bursts, but even with a torn belly they won’t stop, they will eat until they die! And although they are not poisonous, in a fight with a scorpion, the scorpion turns into food for the scorpion! Of course, they are not beauties, but they are unique and deserve to live next to us. In the nineties, phalanxes were included in the Red Book of Ukraine as a rare species.

Since childhood, I have been afraid of spiders; I simply fall into wild horror when I find their representatives at home. I looked at the photographs now, and imagining that such a salpuga could bite, my heart skipped a beat!))) We vacationed in the Crimea this year... if I had known that there were such things there, I would not have let down my vigilance for a second. Even for the better, otherwise the vacation would definitely be ruined!

Solifugae or phalanx spider is the common name of the order to which about a thousand species of arachnids belong.

There are other common names for the animal, it is called camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider, phalanx.

It is more correct to call this detachment phalanxes. Because of its appearance, the question may arise as to why the phalanx spider is dangerous.

Description and characteristics

If we describe the phalanx in more detail, then we can say about it that these are large arthropod arachnids. Salpuga, living in Central Asia reaches a length of up to 7 centimeters. The entire body and limbs are covered with long hair. The front “tentacles”, called pedipalps, are also similar to paws, and when moving they perform their functions, only they are longer than the “walking” limbs. The phalanx has 10 legs in total.

Two pedipalps perform a tactile function, but the hind limbs of the phalanx have tenacious claws. Between them there are suction cup-like villi, thanks to which spiders can easily climb vertical surfaces.

Salpugs are very fast and are nocturnal predators. All phalanges are carnivorous, or rather, omnivorous, so their diet is termites, various beetles and even small arthropods. But sometimes they also hunt lizards.

The eyes of the phalanx spider are arranged like those of all arthropod spiders: in front there are two round, complexly arranged eyes, and on the sides of the cephalothorax there is one more eye. The salpug simply does not have “forward-looking” eyes. Why do spiders need compound eyes? They react to light and to the movement of various objects. Therefore, it only takes a split second for the salpuga to react to its approach. This makes her a great hunter and rarely when prey.

Types of phalanges (solpugs)

The 13 families that form the large order of phalanges are divided into 140 genera, which include almost 1000 species. Among the representatives of camel spiders, the most famous are:

Common salpuga (South Russian salpuga, common galleod)(lat. Galeodes araneoides) is represented by large individuals: their body length can reach 6 cm in females and 4.5 cm in males. The lower part of the abdomen and cephalothorax are colored sandy yellow. The top of the back has gray and brown shades. Powerful chelicerae are able to support the weight of the camel spider’s own body. The common salpuga is an active nocturnal predator that digs holes, hides under stones, in holes abandoned by rodents or in crevices in the ground. These individuals are omnivores, including the ability to attack scorpions and other spiders. The common salpuga is listed in the Red Book of the Astrakhan region.

Salpuga Transcaspian(lat. Galeodes caspius) has a brownish-red coloration of the cephalothorax and a gray abdomen, on which dark stripes are clearly visible. The size of these arachnids reaches 6.5-7 cm. These camel spiders live in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Salpuga smoky(lat. Galeodes fumigatus) is the largest representative of the phalanges order. The body size of individual individuals can exceed 7 cm. The upper part of the salpuga's abdomen, in the middle of which a grayish-brown stripe is visible, is colored olive-smoky. The cephalothorax has a bright yellowish-ochre hue. The phalanx lives in Turkmenistan.

Habitats

The camel spider lives in desert, semi-desert regions, and steppes. Prefers arid areas and high temperatures. Many species live in the Gobi Desert, the North Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Astrakhan, Transcaucasia, the Lower Volga region, and Volgograd. In Europe they are found in Greece and Spain.

The camel spider digs holes in the soil, hiding under stones and snags.

Note! Salpuga is predominantly nocturnal, but some species are active during the day and are not afraid of sunlight. Phalanxes are afraid of people, try to quickly hide, but due to their carelessness they often penetrate into living quarters.

Lifestyle

Most night hunters hide during the day in abandoned rodent burrows, among stones, or in their underground nests, which they dig with the help of chelicerae, throwing away the soil with their paws. They are attracted to light by a cluster of insects.

Therefore, they crawl towards the glow of the fire, the rays of a flashlight, towards the illuminated windows. There are species that are active during the day. In Spain, such sun-loving representatives were called “sun spiders.” In terrariums, salpugs love to bask under the light of ultraviolet lamps.

The activity of spiders is manifested not only in fast running, but also in dexterous vertical movement, jumping over a considerable distance - up to 1-1.2 m. When meeting an enemy, salpugs raise the front part of their body, open their claws and point them towards the enemy.

Sharp and piercing sounds give the spider determination to attack and frighten the enemy. The life of predators is subject to the seasons. With the arrival of the first cold weather, they hibernate until the warm days of spring.

During the hunt, salpugs make characteristic sounds similar to grinding or a high-pitched squeak. This effect occurs due to friction of the chelicerae to intimidate the enemy.

The behavior of animals is aggressive, they are not afraid of either humans or poisonous scorpions, they are even warlike towards each other. The lightning-fast movements of hunters are dangerous for victims, but they themselves rarely become someone's prey.

It is difficult to drive out a spider that has run into a tent; you can sweep it out with a broom or crush it on a hard surface; this is impossible to do on sand. Bites should be washed with antiseptics. Salpugs are not poisonous, but they carry infections. If the wound becomes suppurated after a spider attack, antibiotics will be required.

What does the phalanx spider eat?

Phalanges are classified as carnivorous and omnivorous arachnids. They instantly grab the prey and, holding it tightly, tear it apart with very powerful chelicerae.

They feed on beetles, termites, small arthropods, and can also catch a lizard or small bird; they do not disdain carrion. In a fight with an adult scorpion, the phalanx most often emerges victorious.

With their chelicerae they cut off the hair and plumage of small birds and can crush thin bones. After such cleaning, the victim is strongly moistened with digestive juice and absorbed.

In America there lives one of the species of salpugs, which are called “hive ravagers”. At night, they sneak inside the hive and eat bees, after which they often cannot get back through the entrance (due to their swollen abdomen) and die from bee stings.

The phalanges are extremely voracious - sometimes they eat until its greatly enlarged abdomen bursts. Moreover, even when dying, the phalanx continues to absorb food for some time.

Reproduction

During the mating season, the phalanx male uses the smell emitted by the female to find her, after which mating occurs. Then the male has to urgently hide. This is due to the fact that the “lady” begins to show signs of aggression and is able to eat her former “gentleman”.

Mating usually occurs at night. The female attracts the male with her scent. Fertilization occurs by the spermatophore method - the male releases a sticky spermatophore containing sperm, picks it up with the help of chelicerae and transfers it to the genital opening of the female.

A certain role is played by special appendages-flags on the male chelicerae. The process takes several minutes. During mating, the male behaves reflexively - if the female or spermatophore is removed, the male will still continue his actions, not noticing that now they have no meaning.

After fertilization of the salpug, the female begins to feed intensively and lays from 30 to 200 eggs in a pre-dug hole. The process of development of new individuals begins in the mother’s oviducts. Therefore, small phalanges soon appear, covered with a transparent, but durable and flexible film (cuticle).

The first days of the salpuga are motionless. They acquire the ability to move independently after the first molt, which occurs after 14-20 days. At the same time, the young animals begin to acquire hairs characteristic of this species. The mother stays with the cubs until they get stronger, and at first supplies them with food.

The life of camel spiders is subject to strict seasonality. With the onset of cold weather, the phalanges fall into deep hibernation and in this form survive unfavorable conditions.

Danger to humans

The phalanges resemble spiders in appearance and cause horror and fear in people. At the same time, they are very fast and aggressive.

The phalanx itself is not afraid of man. She perceives any movement around her as danger. Therefore, a number of rules should be followed to minimize the possibility of a bite.

Close windows and doors tightly at night, and in hot weather, tightly cover the windows with mesh.
If you have to walk with a flashlight at night, you should be careful that the phalanx does not rush into the light.
Be very careful when sitting around the fire at night.
When spending the night outdoors, close the entrance to the tent tightly and do not light a lantern in it.
You should not leave shoes or clothes outside overnight: the phalanx may crawl into them.
When hiking outdoors, you should tuck your pants into your socks and wear long sleeves.

The phalanx boldly crawls towards the light of a fire or flashlight in a tent. In general, these insects love light; they are even attracted to street lights. There is an opinion that they are attracted not by light, but by midges that flock to the light. They especially love electric light and ultraviolet radiation from a mercury lamp.

If a phalanx crawls into a brightly lit house or tent, then it is almost impossible to drive it out.

You can catch and carry it out by wearing thick gloves, sweep it with a broom, or kill it. This should not be done inside the house, as this releases a dark, not very pleasant liquid. It is almost impossible to kill a salpug on the sand.

During the day, the phalanges hide from bright light under stones and in burrows. Therefore, you should not touch stones, piles of stones, or explore animal burrows with your hands.

If your home terrarium contains a phalanx, it is not recommended to pick it up with your hands.

Interestingly, when attacking, the phalanx frightens the enemy with a loud sound produced by the contact and friction of the chelicerae against each other.
Phalanges have other names, for example, “camel spider.” It is determined by the living conditions of the phalanges. And the specific shape of the body, which gives them the ability to move at speeds reaching 16 km/h and perform acrobatic jumps reaching 1 meter in height, served as the basis for the nickname “wind scorpion”.
Feeding “pets” at home should be moderate, since phalanx spiders kept in captivity can absorb food endlessly. There were even cases of their death from overeating.
A large salpuga can easily bite through human skin. That is why the phalanges are dangerous for people, although they do not have poison, like spiders and devices for injecting it under the skin; remnants of tissue from previous victims often accumulate in their jaws. These residues rot, so they are toxic and have a poisonous effect. If these toxins enter an open wound during a bite, they can provoke not only a local inflammatory reaction, but also cause blood poisoning. Even if the bite does not cause any consequences, it is very painful.

Phalanx (salpuga, bihorka, camel spider) are arachnids that belong to the phylum arthropods, class Arachnids, order phalanx (lat. Solifugae).

Where did the name phalanx (solpuga) come from?

In Russian, the word “Solifugae,” which is the Latin name for the phalanx spider, is translated as “running away from the light of the sun.” The South African population has other definitions for this arthropod class of arachnids: “barber” or “barber.” These concepts are based on local beliefs that the underground shelters of the phalanges are lined with animal hair, sheared by camel spiders using their powerful chelicerae (mouth appendages). The name “solpuga” is based on a loose reading of the Latin name of the detachment to which the phalanges belong.

Phalanx spider (salpuga) - description, structure, characteristics, photo.

The phalanx spider can reach a length of 7 cm. The cephalothorax has a dissected structure. On its anterior section, covered with a durable chitinous shield, there are two bulging eyes, large chelicerae (oral appendages) with powerful pincers, short pedipalps with sensitive appendages, and walking legs. In total, the salpuga (phalanx) has 10 legs.

Unlike the front legs, which perform a tactile function, the hind legs of the salpuga are equipped with tenacious claws, between which there are peculiar suction cups. Thanks to this arrangement of limbs, camel spiders easily climb vertical surfaces.

The large abdomen of the phalanx is spindle-shaped and consists of 10 complex segments, each of which is formed by a hard abdominal and dorsal part and is connected to the cephalothorax like a waist. Salpugs have well-developed tracheal breathing, consisting of powerful longitudinal trunks and a system of small branching air vessels with spiral thickenings of the walls, which permeate the entire body of the camel spider.

The entire body and appendages of these arachnids are covered with a huge number of thin hairs and bristles of varying thickness and length. This unusual “hair” of the salpug, combined with its large size and rapid movements of the phalanges, gives them a rather menacing appearance, allowing them to scare away a potential enemy. In addition, with the help of chelicerae, salpugs can make grinding or squeaking sounds intended to intimidate the enemy.

One of the characteristics of a phalanx spider is powerful chelicerae. In the structure of each chelicera, there are 2 parts that are held together by a joint. As a result, the chelicera looks like a crab claw, as can be seen in the photo below. The chelicerae of the phalanx contain teeth, the number of which depends on the type of arachnid. The salpuga's chelicerae are so powerful that they allow it to cut off the fur and feathers of its prey, cut the skin and cut the bones of birds. When in danger, the phalanges squeak or chirp piercingly due to the friction of the chelicerae against each other.

The color of the phalanx spider is determined by its habitat, and salpugs live in desert and arid areas, so most species have a characteristic color in whitish, yellowish and brown tones. As an exception, variegated individuals are observed.

Types of phalanges (solpugs).

The 13 families that form the large order of phalanges are divided into 140 genera, which include almost 1000 species. Among the representatives of camel spiders, the most famous are:

Common salpuga (South Russian salpuga, common galleod)(lat. Galeodes araneoides) is represented by large individuals: their body length can reach 6 cm in females and 4.5 cm in males. The lower part of the abdomen and cephalothorax are colored sandy yellow. The top of the back has gray and brown shades. Powerful chelicerae are able to support the weight of the camel spider’s own body. The common salpuga is an active nocturnal predator that digs holes, hides under stones, in holes abandoned by rodents or in crevices in the ground. These individuals are omnivores, including the ability to attack scorpions and other spiders. The common salpuga is listed in the Red Book of the Astrakhan region.

Salpuga Transcaspian(lat. Galeodes caspius) has a brownish-red coloration of the cephalothorax and a gray abdomen, on which dark stripes are clearly visible. The size of these arachnids reaches 6.5-7 cm. These camel spiders live in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Salpuga smoky(lat. Galeodes fumigatus) is the largest representative of the phalanges order. The body size of individual individuals can exceed 7 cm. The upper part of the salpuga's abdomen, in the middle of which a grayish-brown stripe is visible, is colored olive-smoky. The cephalothorax has a bright yellowish-ochre hue. The phalanx lives in Turkmenistan.

Types of camel spiders in the photo:

1 – female camel spider Galeodes caspius fuscus (lives in Kazakhstan)

2 – male camel spider Galeodes caspius fuscus (lives in Kazakhstan)

3 – salpuga Rhagodes (lives in Kenya)

4 – salpuga Rhagodes (lives in India)

5 – salpuga Hexisopus (lives in Namibia)

6 – Salpus Chelypus (lives in South Africa)

7 – salpuga Metasolpuga picta (lives in Namibia)

8 – salpuga Zeria sericea (lives in Namibia)

Where does the phalanx spider (salpuga) live?

Phalanxes are typical inhabitants of desert, semi-desert and steppe regions with tropical, subtropical and slightly temperate climates. A few species of salpugs have adapted to the conditions of wooded areas. The distribution area of this family includes India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, the African continent, the countries of the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas. On the territory of post-Soviet countries, salpugs are found throughout Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and the Crimean Peninsula. There are no phalanxes only on the Australian continent and the icy expanses of Antarctica and the Arctic.

Most species of camel spiders are active nocturnal. They wait out the heat of the day in shelters, which can be abandoned dwellings of small rodents, stone deposits or self-dug holes. Many individuals use one shelter for a long time, although some salpugs prefer to find a new place each time.

What does salpuga (phalanx) eat?

Salpuga spiders are typical predators and are characterized by pathological gluttony. Despite the fact that phalanges do not have poisonous glands, their diet includes large insects and even small animals. The main food for these arachnids are various centipedes, woodlice, termites, scorpions and spiders. Large species can even cope with lizards, small birds and small rodents.

Camel spider (phalanx): reproduction.

The life of camel spiders is subject to strict seasonality. With the onset of cold weather, the phalanges fall into deep hibernation and in this form survive unfavorable conditions.

Maintenance of the phalanx at home.

Today it has become fashionable to keep the salpuga spider at home. In order for such “pets” to feel comfortable, you need a spacious terrarium with a heater that provides the required temperature and a small drinking bowl. The bottom should be covered with a layer of soil and pebbles up to 15 cm thick so that salpugs can dig their own minks. It is also advisable to throw in twigs and pieces of bark, creating conditions close to natural. Care must be taken when cleaning the terrarium, although these arachnids do not have poisonous glands, their bites are quite painful. A large phalanx can bite through human skin. The salpuga spider does not have poisonous glands, but rotting pieces of food can get stuck on its teeth, which, when bitten, can get into the wound and cause infection.

Phalanx spider (salpuga): interesting facts:

Phalanges have other names, for example, “camel spider.” It is determined by the living conditions of the phalanges. And the specific shape of the body, which gives them the ability to move at speeds reaching 16 km/h and perform acrobatic jumps reaching 1 meter in height, served as the basis for the nickname “wind scorpion”.
Feeding “pets” at home should be moderate, since phalanx spiders kept in captivity can absorb food endlessly. There were even cases of their death from overeating.

Phalanx spider or camel spider, also called solpuga or bihorca, in Latin Solifugae is a large insect.

This, looking like an ordinary spider, is the strongest and most predatory insect of all found on earth. The basic instinct of the phalanx is to kill and eat. There are more than 1000 species in the world, the length of the largest “Central Asian phalanges” is about 7 centimeters.

Their habitat is arid deserts and semi-deserts of all continents except Australia.

Description, features and habits of the phalanx

The phalanx is very similar in appearance to a spider; it has the same shaped legs as a spider’s, located along the body. In addition, like a spider on its face there are oral appendages called chelicerae, similar to claws. However, the phalanx is not exactly a spider, although it is in the same class of arachnids. These spiders are quite large in size, about 5-7 centimeters.

Phalanx is a predatory insect that finds food for itself at night, in the dark. They feed on various bugs, spiders, termites, ants and other crawling insects. Those larger ones will not refuse to attack a small lizard, agama or a baby vole.

An interesting fact is that before attacking the enemy, the phalanx scrapes its chelicerae against each other, making loud creaking sounds. With these she scares her future victim. The body of the phalanx is designed in such a way that it has the ability to be very mobile. Some species are capable of moving at speeds of up to 16 km/h. This species is called “wind scorpion” in English, which means “wind scorpion”.

The habitats of the phalanges are deserts and semi-deserts with a dry climate. Most often they are found in large sandy deserts such as the Karakum, Kyzylkum, Sahara, and Gobi. They have adapted perfectly to Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, Kalmykia and the Lower Volga regions. There are many of them in the south of Crimea. In Europe, they settled in Spain, Greece and parts of Italy. But in Australia, these arachnids cannot be found, they are not there.

For a person, the salpuga is not that dangerous, but an encounter with it may well lead to undesirable consequences. The compression force of its chelicerae is so great that it can easily bite through not only human skin, but also clothing and light shoes. And although the phalanx has no poison, its bite is very painful, and due to the fact that rotting food remains are stored on its jaws, inflammation at the site of the bite and even general blood poisoning are quite possible. Therefore, when visiting places where these harmful insects live, you need to dress in thick clothing and wear shoes that can protect you from being bitten.

The order of phalanges from the class of arachnids is very numerous, it has 13 families, 140 genera and more than 1000 species, bearing many names such as: Solpugida, Galeodea, Mycetophorae, Solifugae Sundevall and others. Among the English names, the most famous are: camel spider, sun spider, sun scorpion and wind scorpion. In Russia they are better known as bihorki. In any case, no matter what they are called, the phalanx is a spider that you need to stay away from.