📸 PhotoPhoto: Hectonichus · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Egyptian giant solpugid
Galeodes arabs (Egyptian giant solpugid · Egyptian giant solpugid)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) advises that this arachnid is not fatal to humans, though its bite is painful—a useful fact to know when traveling in desert regions.
- 💡 According to the EAD, collecting this solpugid is prohibited under United Arab Emirates Federal Law (No. 24 of 1999).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Egyptian giant solpugid is a camel spider (solpugid) commonly seen in Middle Eastern deserts, active mainly at night and avoiding sunlight.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
It is a large, hairy, yellowish-brown arachnid with a fierce appearance. Its large jaws grow up to one-third of its body length.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It is a fast-running carnivore that preys on insects, lizards, small birds, and rodents. It chops and mashes prey with its large jaws, and although it has no venom, it dissolves flesh with digestive fluids and sucks it up.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • catalogueoflife.org — 3F3M9
- • wikidata.org — Q5312292
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Galeodidae - Galeodes arabs.JPG
- • ead.gov.ae — Camel-Spider
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — author not recorded · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.