Pseudoscorpions are fascinating arachnids, often mistaken for miniature scorpions due to their similar appearance. Despite their name and appearance, these creatures differ significantly from true scorpions, particularly in the absence of a tail and stinger.
These tiny predators are found in various habitats and typically measure between 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length. Their primary diet consists of small insects, mites, and larvae, which they capture using their pincers. As they feed on common household pests such as carpet beetles, ants, mites, and small flies, pseudoscorpions often prove beneficial to humans.
Thankfully, pseudoscorpions are harmless to humans and lack the ability to bite or sting. Their tiny size and weak pincers render them unable to penetrate human skin. Instead, they serve as helpful allies in controlling various unwanted pests.
What Are Pseudoscorpions
Arachnid Characteristics
Pseudoscorpions are arachnids, making them relatives of spiders, ticks, mites, and scorpions. A few key characteristics of arachnids include:
- Exoskeleton
- Jointed appendages
- Segmented body
Physical Features
Distinct physical features of pseudoscorpions include:
- Oval or teardrop-shaped flattened bodies
- Reddish or brown color
- Body length of about 1/5 inch long (about 3/8 inch with extended pedipalps)
- Two conspicuous pedipalps (pincers)
Key Differences Between Pseudoscorpions and True Scorpions
Pseudoscorpions and true scorpions vary in several aspects, as outlined in this table:
| Feature | Pseudoscorpions | True Scorpions |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Smaller – 1/5 inch body length | Larger – Typically 2-4 inches long |
| Physical appearance | Lack large, segmented tails | Possess long, segmented tails with stingers |
| Behavior | Harmless to humans, lack venom | Potentially dangerous, venomous |
| Habitat | Common inside homes, in leaf litter or under stones | Common outside, in deserts, forests, and grasslands |
| Diet | Mostly feed on small insects, mites | Feed on insects, smaller scorpions, spiders |
By understanding these key differences, we can better identify pseudoscorpions and distinguish them from true scorpions in their distinct habitats and characteristics.
Pseudoscorpion Behavior and Habitat
Feeding and Prey
Pseudoscorpions are tiny predators that feed on various small arthropods, such as:
- Mites
- Ticks
- Booklice
- Small insects
- Carpet beetle larvae
Although they have pincer-like pedipalps, they are not venomous, and they use their chelicerae to inject digestive fluids into their prey, liquefying the internal organs, which they then ingest.
Mating Habits
In pseudoscorpions, mating involves careful courtship rituals where the male deposits a spermatophore (a package containing sperm) on a substrate and guides the female to it. This process typically occurs during warmer months, such as spring and summer.
Common Habitats
These small arachnids prefer damp and humid environs, where they can be found in a variety of habitats both outdoors and occasionally indoors:
Outdoors:
- Soil
- Moss
- Tree bark
- Stones
- Leaf litter
- Tree hollows
- Logs
- Intertidal zones (e.g., Canary Islands)
Indoors:
- Basements
- Laundry rooms
- Bathrooms
Pseudoscorpions often hitch a ride on larger animals such as rats or beetles through a process called “phoresy” to move from one location to another.
| Habitat Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Outdoors | Soil, moss, tree bark |
| Indoors | Bathrooms, basements |
To summarize, pseudoscorpions are interesting arachnids with unique feeding and mating habits. They can be found in various outdoor habitats, as well as some indoor locations when seeking suitable moisture and prey.
Benefits and Dangers of Pseudoscorpions
Are They Harmless or Dangerous?
Pseudoscorpions are generally considered harmless to humans. They lack the stinging tail of a true scorpion and their mouthparts, while modified for venom injection, are too small to pierce human skin. Examples of harmless pseudoscorpions include:
- Chelifer cancroides (the common house pseudoscorpion)
- Other small species that live beneath tree bark
Pseudoscorpions are primarily predators of small invertebrates like ants, small flies, and thrips. However, they are not known to attack mammals, and incidents of pseudoscorpion biting humans are extremely rare.
Role in Pest Control
Pseudoscorpions are beneficial to humans, as they play a vital role in controlling pests. Their diet consists of:
- Ants
- Thrips
- Small flies
- Other small insects
Utilizing their pincer-like claws and poison glands, pseudoscorpions inject venom into their prey which aids in subduing and digesting them. This makes them a natural form of pest control within gardens, homes, and other ecosystems where they reside.
Indoor Infestations
Pseudoscorpions may occasionally infest indoor areas, as they sometimes wander into homes by accident. However, they do not typically pose a significant issue, as they are not known to damage property or harm inhabitants. Common indoor pseudoscorpions are:
- Chelifer cancroides (also known as book scorpions)
Infestations can be addressed with physical removal, and measures to prevent future entry, such as sealing any cracks or gaps in walls and windows. It’s important to note that indoor populations of pseudoscorpions may in fact be beneficial, as they can help control other pest species that might be present in the home.
Comparison table: Pseudoscorpions vs True Scorpions
| Characteristic | Pseudoscorpions | True Scorpions |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 2-8 millimeters | Up to 20 centimeters |
| Venom/ Sting | Venom in claws, unable to pierce human skin | Venomous stinging tail |
| Danger to Humans | Harmless | Potentially harmful depending on species |
| Pest Control Benefits | Yes | No |
| Habitat | Beneath tree bark, homes, gardens | Deserts, forests, grasslands |
In conclusion, pseudoscorpions are harmless arachnids that play a vital role in pest control. While they may occasionally infest indoor spaces, they pose no danger to humans and can even help keep other pest populations in check.
26 Comments. Leave new
Hello this is my first time usin this site and i dont know how to post pictures yet but i love in a house an i have been getting these small bugs that are about less then 1/2 an inch an they look tat they have small claws or thorns of some kind in the bad end of them, they are dark in color and they are showing uo everywhere. I wanted to know what are they and how i can get rid of them….please help!!!!!
PHotos can be submitted with the Ask What’s That Bug? link: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ask-whats-that-bug/
Sorry, i misspelled ( earwig )! One way to get rid of them is to put out dampened rolled up newspaper,they love to hide away in small damp places.When you see that there are less of them throw the paper out and put out a new one.This really works!
Hi,
I have found the same creature on my kitchen counter this morning eating my butter! I freaked out because I have a baby and don’t like bugs!!! I know ticks carry Lyme so I’m scared, but happy to read its harmless! If you can please help me , I would like to know where they come from so that I could prevent them from entering my home. What kind of environment they like and an assurance that they are harmless.
Thank you so much in advance!:)
Monika
Pseudoscorpions are harmless. We have never received an image of a Pseudoscorpion in a natural environment, and the numerous images we have posted to our site are all indoor sightings.
i had a Pseudoscorpion i think fall out of my daughters hair the other day onto my lap. where do they live? and she got it from daycare any way they can get rid of them on their playground outside so all the kids dont get them in their hair?
According to BugGuide: “under bark and stones, in leaf litter, caves, and homes.” Hair is not the preferred habitat for a Pseudoscorpion, so in our opinion, mass eradication in an attempt to prevent a repeat occurrence is a futile endeavor. Furthermore, we do not provide extermination advice.
I find a couple of these pretty much every spring around the house! Live in Manitoba Canada..we get brutally cold winters so am surprised to hear the scorpion reference?
I also love in Manitoba and seriously am almost fainting because I found 3 of them in my bedroom!! How do you get rid of them??
How do u get rid of these bugs?
I just found one of these bugs in my room tonight and we have found some at my fiancés mother’s apartment before.. I hate bugs and these really gross me out so I end up getting a piece of toilet paper and flushing it down the toilet since they are hard to kill. I normally flush them down alive.
I just had one fall from my head onto my ear and to the ground picked it up off the floor and immediately saw a resemblence to a tick and a scorpion and freaked a little and onto the Internet. I also live in Canada in Ontario and have never Seen these before. Glad I could find an exact picture and hear they are harmless. Thanks bug man. Dave from Ontario canada
Thanks, Bugman! We found this tiny scorpion-like bug crawling on our bed blanket yesterday. After I squashed it and looked at it under a magnifying glass, my husband said it was a spider since it had eight legs. It’s good to learn they’re Arachnids and named Pseudoscorpions and better to learn they’re harmless. I thought it’s mini scorpion pincers made it look cute (after it was squashed), but from now on I’ll throw them outside so they can hunt flies! Darlene & Phil from Wisconsin USA
Good to know the information we provide will protect future Pseudoscorpions found in your home.
I live in Arizona ( from Illinois originally ) and for over 15 years now I have been seeing small hairy spider-scorpion looking creatures in my apartment. They have 2 claws in the front part of their bodies & colors have been light tan, brown and black. They are scary looking & i pray to God that they are the psuedo things you have mentioned. I used to only see them in the shower area of bathroom but have also seen some in bedroom and stovetop & on kitchen wall. Thank you for the information your site has supplied & thank you for alleviating some of my fears of these ugly , alien-looking monsters!
I don’t know what if it killed people.
Please help,
I found one in my bathroom, and don’t know what to call it,
what is a good name for this cute “Not an Insect”?
Just kidding, I put it in a flower box in balcony, I’m glad you don’t provide extermination advises, Don’t know why you don’t, still I’m glad.
Thank you.
Diatomaceous earth
Awe…now I feel bad for flushing him! Thanks for the info..I was creeped out. Now when I see one I will let him live on.
I live in capebreton & I too have encountered pseudoscorpions, I noticed that they seem to be attracted to moisture, have normally seen them in my bathroom or during fall/spring. I’ve never had an infestation so to speak only the odd one on super damp days.
i’ve never seen one until my brother found one in his tub – sure looked like a tick with claws – live in Door County Wisconsin.
do these bite ? I have only seen them in my bathroom, found one today on top of a load of laundry I was about to do. Am deathly afraid of spiders. Whet do I need to do, to rid my home of these ?
To the best of our knowledge, they do not bite. We do not provide extermination advice.
So far this year I have found 2 of them in my house in eastern Canada. At first they scared me and I was not long googling it. The my are the weirdest bugs. I’d rather any bug then these lol!
Well these are creepy, I find them occassionally, in the spring, on my walls. Are there other bugs with a similar look? Mostly want to be sure these are actually what I found. This one was walking across my desk like it owned the place. I had just set down my coffee, yarn and phone
I found one inside of my toilet paper roll, in friggin Norway automatically thought it was a tick, and killed it.