Friday, April 1, 2011

Vinegaroon


This large prehistoric-looking creature is a Vinegaroon or Whip Scorpion, they are related to spiders and scorpions in the class of Arachnida. They are in the order Uropygi which means "tail rump" which refers to the whip-like appendage at the end of the abdomen. This particular specimen pictured here is Mastigoproctus giganteus which is native to the southern and south western region of the United States. They are one of the largest vinegaroons of the 100 species found Worldwide, and they reach lengths up to 3.5 inches without the tail appendage added in. Like spiders they have 8 legs, with the two front legs being specially adapted as sensory organs which allow them to feel around their environment much like a blind man uses a cane to acquaint himself with his surroundings. They have modified mouthparts that resemble boxing gloves, but are actually pinchers capable of pinching human skin as well as grabbing their prey. 




Unlike spiders they have no venom glands and also unlike scorpions they lack a stinger. Their only form of defense is a special chemical they can spray from their tail that is made up of acetic acid and octanoic acid and smells like vinegar. It is this vinegar-like spray that they get their common name of VINEGARoon from. This spray is harmless to humans unless you are sensitive to vinegar. It may be best to not handle them  as the only way to know if you are allergic is to get sprayed. Avoid holding them near your face, as getting this spray in your eyes would be a bad experience. I handle this one frequently and have had no problems. As long as you approach them quietly and in a non-threatening way, handling them should not be a problem, but be aware that a reaction could occur and medical assistance may be needed for sensitive individuals.


They are found in tropical, sub-tropical and hot dry areas. They are absent from Australia, Europe. There are introduced species found in Africa, but no native species are there. They will dig burrows that they transport their prey to. They avoid sunlight and prefer dark, humid locations. They may also be found under rock piles, wood piles, rotting wood, and other natural debris. They even show up in basements, garages and sheds in their native range.Vinegaroons feed on insects, millipedes, worms, slugs and small vertebrates. While it is true they are a bit scary and intimidating looking, there is nothing to be afraid of, they in fact provide a valuable service to us in the form of insect control.

Males will form a sperm sac called a spermatophore that they will deposit on the ground. Much like a scorpion they will drag the female across this sperm-sac so that she will take it up into her body. She will lay up to 35 eggs in a burrow. The eggs are encased in a protective mucous membrane to keep them moist. When the eggs hatch the young will crawl up on their mothers back and attach themselves there with a suction-cup like devise. They will remain with the mother until they shed their skin for the first time. They will be all white and very vulnerable at this stage. Staying with their mother affords them some protection. The mother will not eat throughout the egg laying process....and she will die as soon as her offspring molt. The young are slow growing and will not reach adult size for 3 years. They may live up to an additional four years after reaching their adult size. 

12 comments:

  1. What an interesting speciman, I am not sure I have seen it.It is kind of close looking to an earwhig.

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  2. They are much, much larger than an earwig and they are not found in the midwest. I bought this one to use as a program specimen.

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  3. On my first mission trip to Mexico, some boys brought me one of these in a bucket and said, "Estos te pueden matar" (these can kill you). Not true as it turns out, but a popularly held belief among country folk. You sure could have convinced me it was true.

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  4. I had never seen nor heard of this critter till my husband told me his experience. He said that while working fire crew his captain warned them about them. He related a story about how if they bite you, you will become very ill, vomiting, and what's most curious is that everything you eat or drink will taste like vinagar. Since then I have heard this story repeated by several others. Of course I had to go "look it up". I found it quite interesting that they don't even have venom. So harmless and helpful. Just goes to show....don't judge a book by it's cover. :) Dee

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  5. i have seen plenty in my day, infact one was in my room yesterday, and i had one again about a week before that. i have looked everywhere to find out how to keep them on the outside of my house but have found nothing, but this interesting site. does anyone know how to keep them on the outside?

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  6. Cool do you know if you can buy them anywhere? i live in Washington and i cant find anything as cool as that.

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  7. Hello all, My brother and I came across one of these half Armored creatures when we were kids in the 60s. and were so impressed we/I thought it best to Let it be. We thought it was half Potatoe bug and Scorpion. I recently viewed "Bug Wars".A Vinegaroon; Wow. I wonder if they were much larger millions of years ago? fossil record?

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  8. I live in Nevada and I have a bunch of whitish looking critters that I thought were vinegaroons. Everything I have read of the vinegaroon matches exactly, except the color. I now wonder what the heck is in my yard.

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    Replies
    1. Look up, sun spider, or camel spider, Wind scorpion

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    2. Check out sun spider or camel spider, wind scorpion

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    3. Look up, sun spider, or camel spider, Wind scorpion

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