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PseudoscorpionsStrange, tiny solifugid(?) found under UST.
December 7, 2009
I work for an environmental company, decommissioning underground tanks.
I was in Detroit, Oregon taking soil samples and overseeing the private decom of a heating oil tank when I found this guy. He was about 7 feet underground, in an erosion void under the tank. The tank had fortunately not leaked, so he is quite alive. I think he is some kind of solifugid, although I couldn’t see any chelicera, and his forelegs end in pincers instead of adhesive pads. The blue object on which he rests is my gloved finger, making him less than a centimeter in length. I found him in early winter, so I assume he was hibernating so deep underground. I apologize for the fuzzy pictures, he was a very active little guy when he woke up.
Devin White
Detroit OR, elev.1,590 ft // 7ft deep in loose rocky soil
Pseudoscorpion
Hi Devin,
This is actually a Pseudoscorpion, but it doesn’t look typically like most Pseudoscorpions that are sent to us. We found a matching specimen on BugGuide from Illinois, but the species is not identified. Pseudoscorpions lack venom and they are harmless, beneficial predators.
Pseudoscorpion
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