Sunday, March 18, 2012

Pseudoscorpion (Lasiochernes cretonatus) II

So, I was rather upset after my encounter with the pseudoscorpion, here: http://procezzed.blogspot.com/2012/03/pseudoscorpion.html, because the photographs were so terrible, detail was almost impossible to discern. So, I took a magnifying glass, a pad of paper, and some colored pencils, and I sketched out what the creature I found looked like. This is a freehand based on observations made of the little arachnid. I hope it can clear up some questions about what it looked like in detail. I should probably invest in a better camera... however that's somewhat out of the question with my limited funds right now. Enjoy my drawing: 
A description taken from National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders
"Pseudoscorpions are small, flat arachnids, usually less than 1/4" (5 mm) long. Like true scorpions, they have enlarged, pincerlike pedipalps, but the short, oval abdomen does not have a tail or stinger. Some species have 2-4 simple eyes; others do not have eyes. Many species have poison glands in the pedipalps, which are used to subdue insect prey and small invertebrates. Pseudoscorpions also have silk glands, but unlike spiders, which have them at the tip of the abdomen, the duct openings are located on the jaws, or chelicerae. They use this silk to spin cocoons, in which they overwinter and molt. The male in one species produces another kind of silk from the rectum, spinning threads that direct the female to the stalked sperm packet. In most species, the female's brood pouch remains attached to the female's abdomen, and hatchlings stay in the pouch, feeding on a milklike liquid from the female's ovaries. In some species, the female abandons the pouch and the embryos develop unattended. Often young require several years to mature to adults. Some species can live up to 4 years. 
Pseudoscorpions are common in many different habitats- at the seashore, in caves, in houses between the pages of books, and in woods among mosses and under loose bark, leaves, and stones. They can maneuver with great ease, moving forward, backward, and sideways. Frequently, they latch onto large insects, especially flies and beetles, and ride them to a new location. There are over 350 North American species, and about 2500 species known worldwide."

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