The Scorpion Tailed Spider and other bugs named after scorpions
Many spiders and bugs are named according to their appearances, while some according to their behavioral traits. The Scorpion-Tailed Spider (Arachnura genus) obtained it's name from it's long appendage that resembles a scorpion's tail. This "tail" looks like parts of a dead leaf and contains no sting, unlike a real scorpion. The tail only exists in females, while the males are tailless and as in many other spiders, could be 10 times smaller than the female.
#1 When it was first found, the scorpion-tailed spider was dangling in the middle of it's web. To complete it's disguise, some real leaf litter was used to decorate the web.
#2 It fidgeted around as some prey got caught on the web
#3 A closer look - it had 3 dew drops hanging from it's body!
#4 I fumbled when removing my tripod and the spider got spooked into this position. Quickly took a last shot!
#5 Here's a real scorpion hanging from above me, with the tail in an upright position.
#6 Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi). Yet another subject which had adopted the scorpion name for it's claw-like appendages
#7 Closer look at it's face
#9 Pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpionida) are really tiny critters often found clinging onto larger insects
#10 Water Scorpion (Nepidae) with a scorpion-like pose while underwater. Looks completely different when above water!
Some other random shots from the same area:
#11 Doing what they were born to do
#12 Praying mantis with what looks like the remaining bits of a winged-insect
#13 Closer look at the supper
#14 A Brown Huntsman (Heteropoda venatoria sp.) carrying her egg sac.
#15 Looks like a hole has opened up in the egg sac!
#16 Spiderlings spotted!
#17 The spiderlings look pretty impressive
#18 Ant mimicking spider (Mallinella), albeit not very good at doing it. lol.
#19 Mwahhahahaha... evil laugh with plan to take over the world. Hawkmoth larva, not sure which hawkmoth though.
#20 Full view of Dr Evil, almost 2 inches long
#21 This was found just beside the hawkmoth larva. At first I thought that it belonged to a hawkmoth as well, but found that hawkmoths pupate underground and not like other moths or butterflies which pupate on branches or leaves.
Some other random shots from the same area:
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