brown beetle/spider?
Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Hi,
Cleaning out my back storeroom, I came across this insect. I got so scared, I emptied half a tin of insecticide on it before it died. It has six long legs, two large mandibles at front and two very long antennae. It’s black with brown spots/stripes and its body is about 1-1.5 inches in length.
Cheers
shurland
Trinidad, West Indies
Exterminated Tailless Whipscorpion in Trinidad
Hi shurland,
Tailless Whipscorpions are fierce looking, but they are totally harmless unless you are a small Arthropod or other creature that becomes prey to this shy nocturnal hunter. We haven’t posted an image to our Unnecessary Carnage page, so we will be posting your letter and image.
Scorpion like bug in New Mexico
Attached is a photo of a rather large and intimidating “bug”. It has claws like a scorpion, but not the curved tail with the stinger. Instead it has that long thin wiry tail. The tail actually looks like a long piece of wire of stiff hair. Can you tell us what it is? Is it poisonous or harmful to humans? Does it eat other insects? Thanks.
Monte and Mary Kern
Hi Monte and Mary,
This is a harmless Whipscorpion, Mastigoproctus giganteus, also called a Giant Vinegaroon or Grampus. Legend has it that the bite of a Vinegaroon will cause the person to taste vinegar for weeks. Though this is untrue, BugGuide notes that “Although its tail in unable to sting, this creature can spray an acidic mist from a scent gland at the base of the tail when disturbed. The spray is 85% concentrated acetic acid/vinegar, hence the common name “Vinegaroon.” The heavy pinching mouthparts (modified pedipalps) can also inflict a painful bite. Although very unlikely to attack humans, it can certainly defend itself if provoked.” The Vinegaroon is a nocturnal predator with poor eyesight. It feeds on insects, other arthropods, and also, probably, small vertebrates like lizards.
¶ Posted 23 July 2008 § ‡ ° spider or scorpion?
I’m from indonesia, and i want to ask about the bug that i hv found. Its interesting me when the first i saw it, its likes a spider, and has a needle in the back of its tail, has 2 claws, 6 legs, and 1 pair antenna. Can you tell me what is it? Class of spider or scopion? And Sorry bout my bad english. I think i hv found a new bug!!
This is a harmless Whipscorpion, and it is magnificent.
¶ Posted 07 June 2008 § ‡ ° South East Asian Bug
Hey Bugman,
I saw this bug in June in Cambodia. It was by the temples of Angkor. My guide said he had never seen a bug like that in all his years. What is it and is it rare? Thanks,
Jon
Hi Jon,
Harmless Tailless Whipscorpions are found in many parts of the world. We have received photos from Africa, Asia, Central America, Mexico and the Southwest United States. They are shy nocturnal hunters, which explains why they are not often encountered.
¶ Posted 19 March 2008 § ‡ ° whats that bug
I was rudely awoken one night by this crawling across my face…. i have no idea what it is can you identify it for me please
This is a harmless Tailless Whipscorpion. In the U.S. these shy predators can be found in Arizona, Texas and Florida, but most of our reports come from tropical countries. Sadly, you did not provide a location.
¶ Posted 26 January 2008 § ‡ ° bug identification request
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for the previous identification. When searching for swallow-tailed moth (which looks much different than a swallowtail moth), I came across hits for swallowtail butterflies, but I didn’t think to also search under swallowtail moth. I have one more id request from Yasuni National Park. We saw what appears to be a spider in the attached picture while doing a nightwalk. Looking on your site, it resembles a tailless whipscorpion. Is that correct? Thanks,
Oliver
Hi Oliver,
You are correct. This fierce looking creature is a harmless Tailless Whipscorpion.
¶ Posted 16 January 2008 § ‡ ° Whats this?
Hello, my name is Kevin and I’m working in Nicaragua and came across this interesting bug, which appeared to be some sort of spider. I examined it under a microscope and it has fangs like a spider and two mandible like appendages. Have any Ideas?
Kevin L. Miller
Hi Kevin,
Though it might look fierce, the Tailless Whipscorpion is a harmless predator.
¶ Posted 30 November 2007 § ‡ ° Tailless Whipscorpion from Chamela, Mexico
Hi.
After searching the web to find out what bug I saw the other night I came across your site that had good pictures of the Tailless Whipscorpion and that made me pretty sure that what I saw was just that. The thing that confuses me is that the locals say that it’s poisonous. A girl at the house where I live told me that she got bitten three years ago. It had hidden in her shorts and when she put them on it bit her. If you get stung you will loose your vision and sense of hearing. If you don’t get and antidote within 30 minutes you will die. Since you say it’s harmless I guess it must have been something else that bitten her. What could that be that kill you in 30 minutes and disables your eyes and hearing? I attached a picture of the Tailless Whipscorpion for your site. Best Regards
Niclas Skold
Hi Niclas,
While we were in Iscamilpa Mexico for the total solar eclipse, we were amused by a sign outside the church warning the locals to stay indoors because scorpions would fall from the sky. While there are many poisonous creatures in Mexico that will sting and bite, the Tailless Whipscorpion is not one. Their fierce appearance belies their harmlessness.
¶ Posted 17 October 2007 § ‡ ° 
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