ArachnidsWith around 11 distinctive lineages and over 38,000 species of spiders alone, arachnids are an amazingly diverse group of invertebrates--and with names like the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, the Tailless Whip Spider, and the Harvestman, they can be both spectacular and captivating. Most books about arachnids focus on spiders, neglecting scorpions, ticks, mites, wind spiders, and other fascinating yet poorly understood groups. This adventurous volume summarizes all existing knowledge about each major type of arachnid, revealing their secrets through detailed species accounts, brilliant photographs, and a compelling cast of eight-legged characters. It examines the anatomy, habitat, behavior and distribution of each lineage, from the garden spider to the death stalker scorpion and even a species of mite that lives inside a monkey's lungs. Drawing on the vast resources at London's Natural History Museum, Arachnids spins a sensational tale, debunking common myths and delving deep into the lives of these bizarre and beautiful creatures. |
Contents
Introduction Spiders arent the only arachnids | 5 |
Araneae spiders | 27 |
Amblypygi whip spiders | 91 |
Copyright | |
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acarines adult amblypygids animal antenniform legs arachnids araneomorph arthropods Astigmata attached behaviour body book lungs brood burrow carapace cells chelicerae colour courtship coxae coxal glands cuticle Cyphophthalmi defensive digestive dorsal surface egg sac Eremobates Eupnoi example excretory exoskeleton eyes feeding female female's flagellum fluid ganglion genital atrium genital opening genitalia genus gonopore groups habitats haemolymph hairs host insects instar ixodid Laniatores larvae live located male mating Mesostigmata midgut mites moult muscles mygalomorphs Natural History Museum nest Opiliones opilionids opisthosoma organs pair of legs palpal palpigrades palps parasites posterior predators prey capture produce prosoma Prostigmata protonymphs pseudoscorpions reproductive respiratory ricinuleids schizomids sclerotized scorpions segments sensilla sensory setae silk soil Solifugae solifugids species sperm packages spermatophore spermatozoa spiders spines spinnerets spiracles stage sternites structures suborder substrate tarantulas tarsus temperature tergites threads tibia ticks trichobothria uropygids usually venom ventral surface walking legs webs