Tailless Whipped Scorpions
I had the opportunity today to take some close up shots of a relatives Tailless Whipped Scorpions.
Wikipedia describes them as –
Amblypygi is an order of arachnid chelicerate arthropods also known as whip spiders and tailless whip scorpions (not to be confused with whip scorpions and vinegaroons that belong to the related order Thelyphonida). The name “amblypygid” means “blunt rump”, a reference to a lack of the flagellum (“tail”) that is otherwise seen in whip scorpions. They are harmless to humans.[1][2] Amblypygids possess no silk glands or venomous fangs. They rarely bite if threatened, but can grab fingers with their pedipalps, resulting in thorn-like puncture injury.
These are not true scorpions – as they don’t have a tail and stinger, and are night time predators. They therefore did not like having their log turned over and would retreat after a while underneath it.
I took them first closeup with the Laowa 15mm wide macro lens. When I was up close to one of them it sprang forward at the lens. I jumped six feet back!
This above shot from that lens shows their camouflage against the wood.
After using the wide angle lens I switched to the opposite extreme in my macro lens armory and used the Canon MPE-65mm to get up close to the jaws and claws.
Finally I then moved to my Canon 100mm macro lens – to take them close but a bit further back. Here you can see the long antennae.
And a couple more from the same lens at different angles.
