Species account by Bethany Holland, of Ithaca College.
Also known as a camel spider, sun scorpion or solifugae, the sun spider is an arachnid found in tropical and desert environments around the world, including the arid south western US. Though they share common names with spiders and scorpions, they are actually neither, and are part of their own order Solifugae.
There are over 100 species of sun spiders in the south western US, in the families Eremobatidae and Ammotrechidae, or the Curved-faced solifugids. They are 18-32 cm long, with females being larger than the males.
These arthropods are incredible hunters and can run as fast as 10 mph to chase down prey such as spiders, beetles and other insects, as well as small vertebrates. They have four pairs of true legs they used to walk, and one pair of pedipalps in the front, which they use as a sensory organ and for grasping prey. They also have a pair of chelicerae, pincer-like jaws used to tear apart their food. Once they have broken up the prey they have captured, they cover it in digestive juices and suck up the insides, leaving the pulp of the insect or vertebrate behind. In one study, they were observed avoiding invertebrates known to sting or have chemical defenses like blister beetles, ants or scorpions. Sun Spiders are mostly nocturnal, especially young ones, and spend most of their time underground during the day. Sun spiders reproduce once a year, and the female lays 50-200 eggs in a burrow. The mother guards and takes care of the young until they are able to fend for themselves.
