Subject:  ? Spider/scorpion ? Or what
Geographic location of the bug:  Panama, western highlands
Date: 01/08/2019
Time: 09:34 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  First looked like scorpion, which we have here, was moving 2 pinchers which were short and flush with head, but had long torso, more like a bee? 4 legs on each side plus long feeler type front legs. Total lenght maybe 1 1/2 inches.
How you want your letter signed:  Confused

Solifugid

Dear Confused,
You do not seem confused to us at all.  What you described as a “? Spider/scorpion ? Or what” is a Solifugid, a non-venomous Arachnid that is related to both Spiders and Scorpions, but lacking a venomous bite or sting.  Solifugids are sometimes called Wind Scorpions or Sun Spiders.  We frequently get identification requests from the Southwestern parts of North America.  Middle Eastern Solifugids are much larger in size, are commonly called Camel Spiders and were the result of some internet hysteria several years ago.

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Subject:  What is this bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Southern California
Date: 10/03/2018
Time: 11:28 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  The cat was playing with this bug in the hallway. Can you help me identify it please? Are they poisonous?
How you want your letter signed:  Afraid to walk in the dark

Solifugid

Dear Afraid to walk in the dark,
This is a predatory Solifugid, sometimes called a Sun Spider or Wind Scoripion, but unlike its venomous relatives, the Solifugid is venomless, meaning it is no threat to you or your cat.  We should caution you that they have strong mandibles, and they might bite if carelessly handled.

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Subject:  What kind of bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Southern Utah
Date: 09/03/2018
Time: 11:35 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We have no idea what kind of bug this is we found in our living room last night
How you want your letter signed:  Ben

Solifugid

Dear Ben,
This beneficial, predatory Solifugid lacks venom, so it is no danger to humans nor pets, though a large individual with powerful mandibles might nip at any perceived threats.

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Subject:  What bug is this???
Geographic location of the bug:  South East Idaho
Date: 08/14/2018
Time: 03:02 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We saw this crawling across our floor last night.  We have never seen this bug in our area. I’ve lived here 55 years.  Is it dangerous?  We have a baby crawling at home.
How you want your letter signed:  Freaked out Grandma

Solifugid

Dear Freaked out Grandma,
This is a Solifugid, commonly called a Sun Spider or Wind Scorpion.  It is an Arachnid, but unlike Spiders and Scorpions, it lacks venom so it is harmless, though a large individual might deliver a painful bite.  Middle Eastern members of the order are much larger and are called Camel Spiders.  According to BugGuide, they are reported from Idaho and we have reports in our own archive of a Solifugid from Idaho.

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Subject:  Weird spider scorpion
Geographic location of the bug:  Niger
Date: 07/21/2018
Time: 03:50 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We found this on our aircraft and have been flying around central Africa.  This one we’ve never seen before and are interested in finding out what it is.
How you want your letter signed:  Chelsea

Solifugid

Dear Chelsea,
This is a Solifugid, commonly called a Sun Spider or a Wind Scorpion, though it is neither a Spider nor a Scorpion.  It is an Arachnid, and unlike its venomous relatives, Spiders and Scorpions, the Solifugids do not have venom nor poison.  They do have powerful mandibles and a large individual might inflict a painful bite.  Large Solifugids in the Middle East are commonly called Camel Spiders.

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Subject:  Potato bug with pinchers?
Geographic location of the bug:  California, santa barbara
Date: 06/21/2018
Time: 01:16 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi Bugman!
We’ve been seeing these bugs around the house. Like a cross between a scorpion and a potato bug. Not slow and sluggish like a PB, it has pinchers and goes into attack mode if you come near.
Should we be afraid?  Are bugs cross breeding now?
Thanks for your help in IDing these “buggers”.
How you want your letter signed:  Deligrrl

Wind Scorpion

Dear Deligrrl,
This is a Solifugid, an Arachnid in the order Solifugae, and your observation that it resembles a Scorpion is due to both being classified as Arachnids.  Solifugids do resemble Potato Bugs.  Solifugids are commonly called Sun Spiders or Wind Scorpions, though they are truly neither.  Additionally, though Spiders and Scorpions are both venomous, Solifugids have no venom and they pose no threat to humans.  They are fierce predators that will eat, tearing apart their prey with their strong mandibles, most anything up to and possible even larger than their own size.  Middle Eastern Solifugids are much larger in size and they are commonly called Camel Spiders.

Oh my goodness that was fast!
Thank you so much for your help identifying this bug which is a spider.  Maybe it’s trying to eat the mice we keep catching in our car port!  We’ve lived here for 20 years and they only just started showing up.
Thanks again, and have a great weekend.

You are welcome, but you misunderstood.  Solifugids are Arachnids, but they are neither Scorpions nor Spiders.  They are classified in a different order.

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