Subject:  Strange Bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Big Bear City, CA
Date: 10/23/2019
Time: 01:49 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Found this in house, while moving boxes. Put it in a slick glass to take photos. It looked mostly black with brownish legs and big angled antennae. Small pinchers on face.
Good climber, so I rubbed orange oil around inside top of glass to confine it. Hope there aren’t more.
How you want your letter signed:  Betty Arnold

Solifugid

Dear Betty,
This fascinating creature is a harmless, predatory Solifugid, a type of Arachnid.  What you have mistaken for antennae are actually pedipalps.  Solifugids are considered harmless to humans because unlike other venomous Arachnids like Spiders and Scorpions, Solifugids have no venom.  They do have powerful mandibles and they might bite if carelessly handled.

Thank you for your quick reply. I was uneasy about thinking that one would crawl over me as I slept last night. Thanks for your quick reply.
Betty

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Subject:  Identify this bug for me please
Geographic location of the bug:  Turlock California
Date: 05/09/2019
Time: 02:57 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Please help me identify this I’ve seen them several times and they are scary and horrifying
How you want your letter signed:  Please help me

Blurry Bug might be Solifugid

In addition to being “scary and horrifying” this bug is also quite blurry, so much that we cannot identify it, but it might be a Solifugid.

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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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