# Insect identification assistance
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 28, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538 "2009-07-28T12:36:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/1 "2009-07-28T12:36:50Z")
I don’t know what this sucker is, but I think it needs to die. die now with fire.
I went to the basement to work out at oh god thirty and it was slowly wandering around the floor. I put a nearby glass over it, finished my workout, and went back upstairs.
A little later, I wondered where the cats were, and found them, predatorially watching the captured suspect.
So, WTF IS this?
[http://www.millertwinracing.com/?p=151](http://www.millertwinracing.com/?p=151)
It’s got 8 legs, making me thing arachnid, but the four mandibles look odd for that and Og help me, googling for some way to identify insects isn’t helping.
Shouldst I call the Orkin man back out?
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/2 "2009-07-28T14:12:47Z")
I think it is a Vinagaroon Spider. Search that and see what they’re all about.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/3 "2009-07-28T14:14:52Z")
Looks maybe like a spider of some kind. Might want to check here: [http://www.insectidentification.org/](http://www.insectidentification.org/)
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### Author:  [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/4 "2009-07-28T14:38:22Z")
Looks like a pseudoscorpion to me. But quite a large one. I would love to see one - I’m jealous. Totally harmless. Let it go on with its short life.
> **[Pseudoscorpion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscorpion)**
>
> Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida.
> Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans since they prey on clothes moth larvae, carpet beetle larvae, booklice, ants, mites, and small flies. They are tiny, and are rarely noticed due to their small size, despite being common in many environments. When people do see pseudoscorpions, especially i...
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### Author:  [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/5 "2009-07-28T15:05:13Z")
Absolutely a vinegaroon. Get close to it and it will spray acetic acid–vinegar! It’s harmless, and will actually eat scorpions. It’s called a false scorpion or whip scorpion. Don’t hurt it!!
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/6 "2009-07-28T15:10:40Z")
We’ve got an identification as a wind scorpion or sun spider.
> **[Solifugae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solifugae)**
>
> Solifugae is an order of animals in the class Arachnida known variously as camel spiders, wind scorpions, sun spiders, or solifuges. The order includes more than 1,000 described species in about 147 genera. Despite the common names, they are neither true scorpions (order Scorpiones), nor true spiders (order Araneae). Most species of Solifugae live in dry climates and feed opportunistically on ground-dwelling arthropods and other small animals. The largest species grow to a length of 12–15 cm (5...
pic here:
[ ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sunspider.jpg)
I don’t care what it does, just so long is it doesn’t do it IN MY HOUSE!
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### Author:  [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-assistance/504538/7 "2009-07-28T15:54:24Z")
I agree with the sunspider, more than my pseudoscorpion. I realised after I posted that the front legs weren’t quite right. As I commented, it was a bit big. Great to have my ignorance fought a tad more. Thanks for this thread!