Subject:  What kind of bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Phoenix, AZ
Date: 08/26/2018
Time: 08:43 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Found this guy crawling from underneath my concrete patio? Any idea what it is?
How you want your letter signed:  Frank

Tailless Whip Scorpion

Dear Frank,
This is a Tailless Whip Scorpion, and unlike its namesakes, the true Scorpions, it lacks venom, so it is no threat to humans, though a large individual might bite if carelessly handled.  Tailless Whip Scorpions are shy predators that hunt at night and they will help keep your home free from other more problematic creatures, like Cockroaches, Scorpions and Spiders.  Based on this BugGuide image, we believe your individual is Paraphrynus carolynae.  According to BugGuide:  “The very long front legs are referred to as ANTENNIFORM LEGS. The animal uses them to ‘feel’ its way about and to locate its insect prey, which is captured with the spiny pedipalps.” 

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Subject:  Indentification please?
Geographic location of the bug:  South of of Alamogordo, NM
Date: 07/17/2018
Time: 09:16 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Not sure this is an insect.  The front appendages do seem to be pincers.  The overall length including the “tail” is over 8″!  Seen July 17, 2018.
How you want your letter signed:  Dave and Teri

Giant Vinegaroon

Dear Dave and Teri,
This is a Whipscorpion, Mastigoproctus giganteus, commonly called a Giant Vinegaroon or Grampus.  Though related to Scorpions, they are not considered dangerous as they lack venom, but they can secrete a weak acetic acid that smells like vinegar.  Giant Vinegaroons are shy, nocturnal predators with powerful mandibles, so they are capable of biting.  At the risk of being repetitive, according to BugGuide:  “The vinegaroon is nocturnal and has poor vision. The whiplike tail is used as a sensory organ, as is the first pair of legs, which is not used for walking. 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.”

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Subject:  Found it lingering outside room
Geographic location of the bug:  Samana island, Dominican republic
Date: 11/11/2017
Time: 02:03 PM EDT
Just wondering what this bug is, it seemed rather slow moving when I saw it
How you want your letter signed:  Devin

Whipscorpion

Dear Devin,
This is a Whipscorpion or Vinegaroon, a non-venomous, distant relative of Scorpions.  Whipscorpions are not considered dangerous to humans, but they do have strong mandibles, so they might bite if carelessly handled.  They are shy nocturnal predators that will help keep populations of Cockroaches under control.  Arachnoboards lists Mastigoproctus proscorpio as a Dominican species.

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Subject:  Is that a scorpion?
Geographic location of the bug:  Kigali, Rwanda
Date: 10/17/2017
Time: 04:21 AM EDT
I saw the bug or whatever it is,  come out of the bathroom hole in the morning when i was gonna baith. Please tell me what that is.
How you want your letter signed:  Any way

Scorpion

This is indeed a Scorpion.

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Subject:  Spider in Nicaragua
Geographic location of the bug:  Matagalpa, Nicaragua
Date: 10/02/2017
Time: 04:03 PM EDT
We found this spider already deceased and decided to take a picture and try to identify it in case we find more of them.
How you want your letter signed:  Dalton Bragg

Tailless Whipscorpion

Dear Dalton,
This is a Giant Crab Spider or Huntsman Spider in the family Sparassidae.  There is a similar looking image on Arácnidos de Centroamérica.

Correction courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel. I think this is actually a Tailless Whipscorpion (Amblypygi). Regards, Karl

Thanks for the correction Karl.  Now that you have brought this to our attention, we agree with you that this is a Tailless Whipscorpion.  They look much more distinctive alive.

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