Amblypygi

Not to be confused with Ariamnes colubrinus.

Amblypygi
Temporal range: Bashkirian/Moscovian–Holocene 315–0 Ma[1]
Heterophrynus, Ecuador
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Clade: Tetrapulmonata
Order: Amblypygi
Thorell, 1883
Families
Synonyms[2]

Amblypygi is an order of arachnids also known as whip spiders or tailless whip scorpions, not to be confused with whip scorpions or vinegaroons that belong to the related order Thelyphonida. The name "amblypygid" means "blunt tail", a reference to a lack of the flagellum that is otherwise seen in whip scorpions. Amblypygids possess no silk glands or venom. They rarely bite if threatened but can grab fingers with their pedipalps, resulting in thorn-like puncture injuries.

As of 2023, five families, 17 genera, and around 260 species had been discovered and described.[3] They are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, mainly in warm and humid environments. They like to stay protected and hidden within leaf litter, caves, or underneath bark. Some species are subterranean; all are nocturnal. Fossilized amblypygids have been found dating back to the Carboniferous period, such as Weygoldtina.[1]

  1. ^ a b Garwood, Russell J.; Dunlop, Jason A.; Knecht, Brian J.; Hegna, Thomas A. (2017). "The phylogeny of fossil whip spiders". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (1): 105. Bibcode:2017BMCEE..17..105G. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0931-1. PMC 5399839. PMID 28431496.
  2. ^ Harvey, M.S. (2013). "Amblypygi Thorell 1883". Whip spiders of the World. version 1.0. Western Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "World Amblypygi Catalog". World Amblypygi Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.