Tailless Whipscorpion from Costa Rica

Costa Rican Scary Bug!!
Location: Mal Pais, Costa Rica
November 7, 2010 3:18 pm
Just got back from Costa Rica. This bug was crawling at night above the door to our bungalow in Mal Pais. I would have liked to get a photo with some sort of size reference, but honestly, this thing scared the heck out of me and I didn’t want to get close. It looks like some sort of spider/scorpion/grasshopper beast. I called it ”Black Death.” What do you call it?
Signature: Ben, Chicago, IL

Tailless Whipscorpion

Hi Ben,
Though it might look scary, the Tailless Whipscorpion is perfectly harmless.  Unlike other venomous Arachnids like spiders and scorpions, the Tailless Whipscorpion does not possess venom.  It is a shy nocturnal hunter that will keep the Cockroach population down as it patrols rooms at night.

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