Monday, December 29, 2008

Pseudoscorpion

Some days, I just love my job . . . 'cause look what one of my colleagues found trying to escape from a tub of hazelnut orchard debris:


For an idea of size, the deli cup he's in has a diameter of about an inch. I haven't officially measured him (her? how do you sex these things?) but he's probably around 5mm. Pretty good-sized, actually.

It would be kinda cool if it were a gravid female, but then I'd have to find something as small as mites to feed the young.


Based on a few pictures I turned up, I'm guessing it's Chelifer cancroides, but I have no means of confirming that.