Arachnids

When it comes to creepy-crawlies, arachnids are some of the first critters that might come to mind. This arthropod group includes spiders, daddy longlegs, and scorpions, among other creatures that many of us would prefer to avoid.

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brown recluse
Brown recluse, (Loxosceles reclusa), venomous light tan or yellow spider most common in the western and southern United States. It has a body length of about 7 mm (0.25 inch) and a leg span of about 2.5...
tarantula
Tarantula, (family Theraphosidae), any of numerous hairy and generally large spiders found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and tropical America. Tarantulas are mygalomorphs (suborder Orthognatha),...
black widow
Black widow, (genus Latrodectus), any of about 30 species of black spiders distinguished by an hourglass-shaped marking on the abdomen. Black widows are found throughout much of the world. The bite of...
scorpion
Scorpion, (order Scorpiones or Scorpionida), any of approximately 1,500 elongated arachnid species characterized by a segmented curved tail tipped with a venomous stinger at the rear of the body and a...
spider
Spider, (order Araneida or Araneae), any of more than 46,700 species of arachnids that differ from insects in having eight legs rather than six and in having the body divided into two parts rather than...
tick
Tick, (suborder Ixodida), any of about 825 species of invertebrates in the order Parasitiformes (subclass Acari). Ticks are important parasites of large wild and domestic animals and are also significant...
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Arachnids Encyclopedia Articles

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