I was sitting on the toilet (!) the other day when one of these crawled across the floor in front of me.
Absolutely fascinating! I got down my on my hands and knees to have a closer look, because it was teeny-tiny, and I saw that it had pincers like a lobster. I had never seen anything like it before.
Now before you bug-haters freak out, pseudoscorpions are harmless, beneficial insects. You don't want to be stomping on them! And this is the first one I have seen in all my years of casual bug-watching. Very cool! Here are more links:
Pseudoscorpions factsheet from University of Guelph
An excellent photo by Ed Wiebe
Cool! But then, I'm quite find of most creep-crawlies. :-)
ReplyDeleteuh. too close to the scorpion which I really don't like. Sorry, I would probably squash it. :-/
ReplyDelete~ Wolf Lover Girl
GROSS!
ReplyDeletesorry but EWWWWWWWW! :P
ReplyDeleteOh my God, what a buncha wimps. (Except for, of course, DEPHAL!! YOU ROCK!)It was about 1/32" long. Or smaller!
ReplyDeleteThat thing is cool. It's neat that we have scorpions (even pseudo-scorpions) in Ontario.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to admit, it would be a different story if it were a house centipede.
You said "It was about 1/32" long. Or smaller!"
ReplyDeleteI say, STILL GROSS AND EWW!
This whole loathing of anything considered "ugly" in nature has led to the extinction of some very valuable species. It's why people want to save cute cuddly baby seals but don't give a damn about less attractive animals actually on the verge of extinction.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is perfectly entitled to kill bugs in his or her own home, but it's important to at least think about the part they play in nature. Pseudoscorpions are tiny and actually kill other bugs you DON'T want in the house. To quote the Royal Alberta Museum article:
"All pseudoscorpions are predators and, when in a house, help keep populations of undesirable insects under control."
It's too bad that so many little girls are taught by their mothers to hate bugs automatically and unthinkingly. Then the little girls grow up and pass that hatred on. My own mother didn't hate bugs, and in fact told me it was bad luck to kill a spider.
Sure, I kill houseflies, and I wouldn't let cockroaches or termites exist in my house, but they are all playing a part in nature and it's good to remember that.