Phoresy: Pseudoscorpion hitches ride with Spined Oak Borer
(06/07/2008) cerambycid with pseudoscorpion attached
Hey Bugman!
Thought I'd send a couple of pics I think are interesting.  I took some photos of what I think is a species of cerambycid that has a pseudoscorpion attached to it.  Thought you might want to see them.  Oh, and I always forget to add this, I took these in Fort Gordon, Georgia about 2 weeks ago.
Stefan Bowers



hi Stefan,
We wish we could tell you exactly what species of Wood Boring Cerambycid you have in your photo. We will seek the assistance of Eric Eaton. We can tell you that the Pseudoscorpion is hitching a ride with the flying Cerambycid, a technique known as Phoresy.

Update: (06/12/2008)
Hi, Daniel:
Welcome back!  Coincidentally, I just visited the site today, after ignoring it while you were away.  LOL!  Hope you had fun in Ohio.  I miss the lush vegetation out there.... The cerambycid is probably the "spined oak borer," Elaphidion mucronatum, named for the pair of spines at the tip of each wing cover.  Cerambycids in general seem to be favorite modes of transport for pseudoscorpions.
Eric

Confirmation: With Different Common Name
(06/12/2008)
Hello Daniel
The long horn in question looks like the "Spined Bark Borer" Elaphidion mucronatum   due to the long femoral spines which sorts it out from Parelaphidion spp. and a longer spine on the 3rd antennal segment.  Hard to tell for sure due to angle of the photo.  Seems to be to robust to be an Anelaphus spp. I hope this helps. Keep up the good work as always.
Brian Sullivan

Pseudoscorpion Killed Unnecessarily
(05/05/2008) Tiny Crab Like Bug
I was sitting at my computer when i noticed this little thing crawling across my desk. It has long crab like pinchers, and 6 little legs, teardrop shaped body that was extremely flat with stripes brown in color. Sorry my first instinct was eww bug kill it. I did take a picture after its death. Its next to one of my hairs to show relation to size. What is it? Do I need to worry? Thank You
Matthew



Hi Matthew,
We are so busy right now that we can only answer and post a small fraction of the numerous letters we are sent. Were it not for your very descriptive letter with good search terms including crab-like and your wonder image with the open claws on your Pseudoscorpion, it might have gone unanswered. Pseudoscorpions are quite harmless, but they are fierce predators if the prey is small enough for them to capture. They are known to catch and eat house flies much larger than themselves. We also hope the next Pseudoscorpion that crosses you path will continue unharmed as this is truly unnecessary carnage.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/07/2008) what is this?
Found this on my windowsill in my kitchen in Georgia. What is it? I thought perhaps it was a baby scorpion?? For an idea of size, one of the "arms" is between 1/8" and 1/4". Any idea? Please reply!
Amy



Hi Amy,
The Harmless Pseudoscorpion is one of our most common identification requests.

Pseudoscorpion
(02/17/2008) Eight Legs + Two Claws -- Insect?
Hello,
I love your site.  After my grandmother was attacked in Arkansas by a very aggressive, female, Dobson fly, my love of insects has only increased.  Your site has provided hours of fantastic information and wonder.  I finally found out what a house centipede was.  But now I have an unknown, which I submit with pictures. I live in Minneapolis in an apartment building.  Today I found crawling on my wall a fairly small, maybe 3-4 mm long, eight legged creature with an additional two large crab-like claws in the very front.  Its body is very similar in shape and coloring to a cockroach nymph.  The creature carries its claws in front of its body in much the same way a crab would, slightly extend and slightly raised.  Additionally, the creature uses its claws in much the same way a crab would.  It seems to regularly bring a claw to its mouth and “taste” what’s on the claw. Please review my photos and tell me what you think.  I can’t seem to find anything on the net that even hints and what this might be.  Thanks a million Bug Man!
PS – On closer inspection it appears this creature has no antennae.
Ellen



Hi Ellen,
This is not an insect, but an Arachnid. It is a harmless Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion
(Independence Day/ 2007) strange arachnid with scorpion like pincers
Great Web site! I have a odd pest crawling around in my home in south central Washington state. I tried getting clear photograph with my digital camera, but it's hard to get a clear shot of this creature who's body is about 3mm long! So, I had to scan it at 1200 dpi. I scanned both the top and bottom for you. Please tell me what on earth is this thing? It doesn't look like a whipscorpion or a scorpion.
Raymond B.



Hi Raymond,
This is a Pseudoscorpion, a harmless arachnid predator. We get so many identification requests we always have an image of a Pseudoscorpion on our homepage and we have an archived page with images from the past.

Pseudoscorpion
(06/13/2007) what kind of bug is this?
Hi
My Husband and I were wondering what this bug is.  We saw it in a Vermont bed and breakfast bathroom crawling across the floor.  It was only about 1/8” long (the picture shows it on a sheet of toilet paper to get an idea of how tiny it was).  To us it looked like a cross between a scorpion and a tick but with no stinger.  We looked at your web site but didn’t see anything like it.
Thanks for the information!
Sharon & David



Hi Sharon and David,
The harmless Pseudoscorpion probably helped to rid the bed and breakfast of problematic insects.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/22/2007) some kind of pseudoscorpion??
Hey Bugman!! I love LOVE your site it’s awesome! :) My name is Mischa and I’m 14 years old. I found this bug in my house. It’s not new, I’ve seen it before, but I’m not really sure what it is... It’s about 2 mm long. I live in New-Brunswick, Canada. I would really appreciate if you could identify this for me, I quite like this little bug!! Thanks soo much, keep up the good work!!
Mischa, NB



Hey Mischa,
You did a great job of getting that photography of your Pseudoscorpion through the magnifying device. Though there are different species of Pseudoscorpions, we aren't prepared to do an exact species identification.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/09/2007) Tiny Scorpion
Thanks for the website. Now I know what this cute little creature is. Here is another picture to add to your marvelous collection. This one was about 3mm long and found in a backyard in Eastwood, NSW, Australia. The picture was taken with it crawling through the hairs on my arm.
Cheers,
Svend Petersen



Hi Svend,
Thank you for the excellent photo that really demonstrates the tiny scale of this marvelous Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion
(01/30/2007) Pseudoscorpion
Dear fellow,
I found that little "scorpion" in stored corn grain and take some photos for your collection.
Horia



Hi Horia,
What a detailed photograph you have sent our way. We wish you had provided a location for this interesting Pseudoscorpion specimen.

Hi,
Yes ideed is a pseudoscorpion, possible Pselaphochernes anachoreta. This specimen was found in a cereal grain storage, because this is a somekind of predator of other insect or mites. The specimen is mounted with Eukitt on slide. When is possible I'll send you other interesting images with small insects.
Horia

Pseudoscorpion
(01/29/2007) Wonderful Website helped me identify a creepy crawler
I just wanted to thank you for having such a great website with a lot of great pictures and information. I recently spotted an arachnid on my garbage can that had 2 large (relative to its tiny size, that is) pincers and I had no idea what it was. I live in the US Pacific Northwest, and I had posted my photo on a website asking for anyone to identify it - a friend directed me to your site, which identified it as a pseudoscorpion. I'm so glad to know what it is so I can learn more about this very intriguing critter. (I still think it looks kind of freaky though!) Here's the photo I'd posted
Tiffany



Hi Tiffany,
Thank you for sending us your artful photo of a Pseudoscorpion. That green background sure is colorful.

Pseudoscorpion in Denmark
(01/12/2007)
Thanks, Your website helped us identify this pseudoscorpion found in our apartement
in Copenhagen. We are relieved they are harmless! Buggy regards,
Michael Sears



Hi Michael,
Many of our readers who encounter Pseudoscorpions erroneously believe them to ticks.

Pseudoscorpion
(12/09/2006) Please tell me!!!!!!!
Is it a deformed tick with claws? Is it some far off type of mite? Is it a miniature scorpion without a tail? What is it?!?!?!?!? I saw this creepy thing on my arm when I was outside! It is about 2 millimeters! I have no clue if this bug is harmful or harmless! Just tell me what this thing is!!!!!!!
Frances Yager



Hi Frances,
Fear not the harmless Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion Carnage in Germany
(10/26/2006) Odd German bug...
Dear Bugman,
I'm currently studying abroad in northern Germany, in the vicinity of Bremen, and I did a search on the internet in hopes of identifying a bug I just saw. I found your website, and I was wondering if you could help me. I'm especially interested to know whether or not it's harmless. I'm afraid I squished it in fear before I could take a picture of it while it was alive. I've attached a couple of pictures of it dead, though... (And I'm sorry I squished it, it's just that I have a skin condition that causes me to react negatively to ALL bug bites. Even mosquito bites cause baseball sized reactions on me. If it doesn't bite or sting, I remove it nicely from my house. My host parents here even taught me how to catch flies without hurting them.) In case the picture doesn't tell all, I will describe it... It was really really tiny, to begin. It dropped onto my hand as a fly buzzed around my hand (at first I thought it was fly poop, that's how small it was). When I looked closer, it appeared to have the body shape of a tick (though it squished much easier than a tick), and the body was brown. It's legs were tiny and comparable to a typical beatle's legs. Attached to the front end of it, by the head, where these long stinger like things. Two of them. One on each side, extending out in front of the bug. They were more of a reddish brown color, and looked very much like scorpion tails. These scorpion-like stingers were very large in comparison to the bug, and I would say they were three quarters the length of the body. If you can identify this bug, I would really be interested to know more about it. And feel free to publish my photos (though they're not the greatest). Thank you!!
Penninah Jones



Hi Penninah,
There was no need to kill the harmless Pseudoscorpion. These fascinating creatures have a nearly worldwide distribution. They sometimes hitch rides on flying insects, a phenomenon known as Phoresy.

Pseudoscorpion
(10/17/2006) Pseudoscorpion ID
Hi,
I have been wondering what this bug was for the longest time. I knew it couldn't be an insect because it didn't have six legs, and its claws were intrigueing. When I typed in "eight legs" "claws" and "insect" into Google, I came across your site with an immediate positive ID. Thanks!
Clarence



Hi Clarence,
Thank you for contributing a new photo of a Pseudoscorpion. We have had the same one on our homepage for a five months and it was time for a change.

Phoresy with Crane Fly and Pseudoscorpion
(07/27/2006) Crane Fly w/ Pseudoscorpion
Dear Bugman,
I love your site! We live in 2nd floor apartment in a porous old house in an old mill town in south central Massachusetts. Starlings have found their way indoors more than once. I'm pretty sure the window screens are just to keep the cats in. So I figure, if we're going to live with bugs, I should learn their names and habits. Last night while I was brushing my teeth I noticed a crane fly nearby at eye level so I leaned in for a closer look. That's when I saw the pseudoscorpion, hitching a ride(?). I'm not sure how it's hanging on there, but it was flexing its free legs to no apparent purpose. The crane fly flew to several spots with the little guy hanging on before landing where I couldn't see them anymore. Before becoming a regular reader of your site I might have said I saw a mosquito hawk with a OMG-what-is-that-thing on it. But as is it, I knew just who they were. Thanks so much for both the information and the entertainment.
Wendy



Hi Wendy,
We are thrilled to post your photo of Phoresy with a Pseudoscorpion hitching a ride on a Crane Fly.

Pseudoscorpion
(05/23/2006) Crab Spider?
My wife found this bug in a stack of her papers. It looks like a tic or spider, but has 10 legs including the pincers on front. All of the pictures of crab spiders I have seen do not include the pincers in the front as this one does. Any guesses? I have the picture out to a few expert agencies and have heard nothing. ? Thamisus Onustus ? or not ? Western MD pandhandle.
David Rebar



Hi David,
Nice image of the underview of a harmless Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/17/2006) Another picture for you
Thanks to your site, I identified this insect immediately. Here is a fairly sharp image, if you want something larger and sharper than most of the pictures you have.
Thanks again.
Matthew



Hi Matthew,
Sharper photos of Pseudoscorpions are great, but we reduce the size of images to help conserve bandwidth on the internet. Pseudoscorpions are Arachnids, not Insects.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/14/2006) crab bug?
Hi,
I found this bug in my bathroom on the ceiling. Its rather scary looking, it reminds me of a scorpion but seeing as I live near Toronto I am sure it is not a relative. It is very tiny, in the pictures it is next to a pin. Could you please tell me what it is and if it is harmful. It is the only one I've seen so far, I'm hoping there will not be anymore. Thanks
Have a wonderful day!
Amanda



Hi Amanda,
This is a Pseudoscorpion and it is totally harmless.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/12/2006) Pseudoscorpion
Hey, Just wanted to write and say I love your site. I turned to it today because I found this tiny little bug on my shorts. At first I thought it was a scorpion, then a tick with huge pinchers. So I took a pic and found your site. I live near Orlando FL. I noticed my Pseudoscorpion has a dot on its back and it seems to be a lighter color than others. I let him go after the photo shoot. Thought you might like to post this pic too. Thanks again!!
Trisha



Hi Trisha,
Thanks for your letter confirming that people actually identify their creatures using our site. Since about 95% or our queries already have identifications posted, it seems most people don't bother to go past the contact link. Often the object of their desire is prominently featured on the homepage and they miss it.

Pseudoscorpion
(04/03/2006) Found this could you please help?
Found this bug in the bathroom a couple of days ago. Could you please help me to find out what it is? It has a round body, black head, 8 legs and 2 claws. thank you if you can help me
van



Hi Van,
What a scary photo of a harmless Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion
(03/13/2006) Crablike Spider
Dear sir.
Can you help in identifying these small spiders we find occasionally in our home in Ottawa Canada ,We may see only two or three a year usually in the Spring , But cannot find a match for them on any of the web sites ,I see similar ones ,But nothing like the one in this attachment, Which is about 1 mm across ,Any help would be appreciated .
Geoff Johnson.



Hi Geoff,
Had you merely scrolled down our homepage, you would have seen photos of another Pseudoscorpion. We have an entire page devoted to these interesting and harmless creatures.

Pseudoscorpion
(03/10/2006) pics of pseudoscorpion
We just moved to CO last May. A couple of months after moving in I found what I thought was a tick on my shirt. When I brought it into the bathroom to flush it-it started waving these little arms around! I took some pics and put the skeevy little thing in a cup so I could look it up. Your website is INSANE. I found out that I have a useful little thing called a pseudoscorpion! I let it go outside. A couple of nights ago I found another one while taking a shower. I took some better pics and put it in our spare room instead of outside. It's too cold out right now, and if it's in here it's probably eating stuff I don't want to know about anyway. I thought you might like to see them so here they are!
Kim K. in Colorado Springs



Thank you Kim,
Your photos are quite beautiful.

Pseudoscorpion
(03/02/2006) scorpiomite?
I found this little guy running around my bathroom ceiling this morning. I have never seen anything like it before. The body was flat and thin and I couldn't tell if the appendages at the front were claws, stingers, or just oddly shaped antennae. I live at the northern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Thanks!
Jim Mason
Houghton, MI



12 minutes later:
Ooops, found it, pseudo-scorpion. I should have fully browsed before emailing you. Thanks for the great site!
Jim Mason

Hi Jim,
We are glad our site was helpful.

Pseudoscorpion
(12/20/2005) unidentified bug in the tub
We found this bug in the bathroom in the evening. We live in Vermont and are in the middle of winter. Please help in identifying. Thank you
Heather
North Ferrisburg, VT



Hi Heather,
Future readers will have no problem identifying the tiny and harmless Pseudoscorpion thanks to your photo. Pseudoscorpions prey on insects and spiders and are often found in bathrooms.

Pseudoscorpion
(11/06/2005) Strange Bug in the Bathroom
Found this bug in my bathroom cant find a picture of him anywhere mainly cause I don’t know what type of bug to be looking for it was so small it was hard to get a good picture of it but this was the best one.



This is a Pseudoscorpion, and it is harmless. It is actually beneficial as it will devour other intruders less welcome than itself.

Second Pseudoscorpion Today!!!
(10/17/2005) Tiny Mystery Insect
Hello there,
First off, I have to say I love the site. Great work. I also appreciate the unnecessary carnage page. I have a little insect that has me absolutely baffled... I found him one afternoon when I picked up a half-damp wash rag off the bathroom counter. He was under it... he was so tiny, I thought he was a little spider at first. I snapped a few pictures of him, which was difficult due to his size. When he sits bunched up with all of his legs together, he's only about 2mm wide and long. With his pincers out and extended, he's about 5mm wide and 3mm long. He has eight small legs and obviously, the two pincers like a scorpion. I'm located in Howard City, Michigan (which is just North of Grand Rapids a bit). We don't have very many insects with pinchers up here, which is why I'm so fascinated with this little bugger. I currently have him in a large plastic freezer bag filled with air and pieces of paper towel for him to walk on. Thank you in advance for any help you might provide.
Elizabeth A. Fisher



Hi Elizabeth,
Your photo of a Pseudoscorpion is wonderfully detailed. These are harmless predators that can capture winged insects much larger than their own diminutive size. They can even capture houseflies.

Pseudoscorpion
(10/17/2005) pseudoscorpion
Great website! Glad I found it because I was pretty concerned when I found what I at first thought to be a tick on my chest, only to realize it had pinchers after pulling it off. I found this one in Virginia, and thought I would share my pictures with you.
Thanks,
Scott Baldridge



Hi Scott,
We get many letters regarding Pseudoscorpions, but few are accompanied by photos since Pseudoscorpions are so small. Note to readers: They are also harmless.

Pseudoscorpion
(07/21/2005) Thought you might like this...
I live in south Texas .  I saw this little guy hanging out on my wall and thought I'd take a picture and send it in.  The funny thing is, I'm taking classes right now and just today we covered Class Arachnida in Biology II.  Loe and behold I come home and have a pseudoscorpion right in my dining room!  I've never seen one in person before today.  Enjoy the picture!
Rachel



Hi Rachel,
My what a nice image. Thanks for sending it. Since many of our Pseudoscorpion images are blurry, yous is a great addition.

A Spoonful of Pseudoscorpion
(07/17/2005) found in cereal
Dave and Wendi



Hi Dave and Wendi,
I wasn't aware that manufacturers were adding protein to dry cereal. Often, grain products become infested with pantry beetles or meal moths, and if they sit on the shelf too long, can be purchased that way. Most homemakers know what it is like to have kitchen infestations. Your situation is a little different though. The harmless Pseudoscorpion is actually a predator. How it got in the box is a mystery, unless there were other living morsels there to attract it. Did you enjoy your morning Spoonful of Pseudoscorpion?

Pseudoscorpion
(06/28/2005) You saved a life! A bugs life that is....
Bugman,
I live in the Northeast US and tonight I saw what I thought was a deer tick on my counter after just coming in from cutting the grass.  My concern came from the prevalent Lyme disease in this region and my friends recent unfortunate diagnosis.  Being a techie I trapped it and g00gled >"eight legs" claws< and low and below your site comes up first.  I follow the link and *whamo* I see the bugger there in your photos.  A pseudoscorpion!  Glad it's not 50 times bigger cause it would be an adventure to deal with... mean lookin bugger.  Your statement that he eats other critters saved its life and got it a first class seat on a solo transport to my basement to wreak havoc on the other critters down there.  Must be my critter week as yesterday I moved a 6 foot black snake to the woods behind my house?...  I beleive your site and concept here is very benefitial to others, I want to thank you for your services.  As a thank you I have provided photos of my bugger in its first and last - most likely - photogenic moment. Look close I believe it is smiling! :]
Thanks Again,
Bo Kohut



Hi Bo,
Happy we could be of service.

Pseudoscorpion attacking Pine Sawyer antenna? Nope: Phoresy
(6/08/2005) What could this be?
The attached photos are of some type of insect or arachnid that was on one of the antenna of a white spotted pine sawyer.  We thought it was a scorpion but when we got a close up of it, it seemed to look more like a tick or mite of some sort.  Maybe you can help identify what it is.  My co-workers and myself are interested to know what it is,as we work for a pest control company.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Tiffany



Hi tiffany,
You have photographed a harmless Pseudoscorpion.  they are known to prey on insects much larger than them, but I think the Pine Sawyer might have proven to be too much for the wee guy.  Thanks for the photos.

We thought origionally that it was a scorpion of some sort but the missing stinger and tail threw us off thank you for helping us identify our mystery bug.  I will deffinatly be visiting your site again as sometimes we get pests that we are unable to identify on our own.
Tiffany

Ed. Note: Eric Eaton just provided the following fascinating information. "P.S.  Oh, that pseudoscorpion was not 'attacking' that longhorn beetle's antenna, it was hitching a ride:-)  That is the way they get around (just glom onto something that can fly).  It is called 'phoresy.' "

Pseudoscorpion on the scanner
(Ides of March 2005) a little creepy
I already wrote you and asked you about mites. When i finished the first e-mail i decided to scan the bug that i was wondering about.  I hope the picture is good enough to tell what it is.  It is really small and i have never seen such a bug in the 21 years i have lived in Ontario.  I just don't like the fact that it had claws and i want to make sure i don't have mites. So if you could get back to me it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much
Melisa
p.s. awesome website



Hi Melisa,
You can rest assured you don't have mites. You have a harmless Pseudoscorpion.

Pseudoscorpion
(02/06/2005) what's this bug!
Moved into an apartment in November 2004, its on the 2nd floor of an old house here in Toronto.  I've now found two of the same small but disturbing bugs, which I'm having difficulty identifying.  The first was found in a newspaper which was on the floor by a recently acquired 1970's organ.  The other between photo's in a plastic box (crawled into?) which was again on the hard wood floor in the same room. They look like very small crabs.  They are a brown/red colour, have 8 legs, and two very long arms with claws at its front.  The body is about 3mm, while the span of the arms/claws seem to be about 10mm.  When disturbed, they pull in the arm/claws, and legs looking like a small brown bit of dirt. Attached is a photo of the first one, dead.  Tried to save it but it died within a few hours of finding it (had it outside, cold here in Toronto!). Any help would be great!
Thank-you
Mike.



Hi Mike,
Your Pseudoscorpions are not only harmless, they are quite helpful as they will eagerly eat many household intruders that do damage. Despite their small size, they will even capture houseflies. Those claws are quite lethal for small insects and other arthropods.

Pseudoscorpion
(08/12/2004) whats this bug?
Hi there.......
My name is Shayla and i live in southeastern wisconsin. i found this tiny little creature crawling on my ceiling and i watched it for a couple of minutes and i put my fingure close to it and it moved from side to side like a crab and so i tried to make it fall onto a piece of paper so i could get a better look at it. it seems to have eight legs also. so i figured i would go online to see what i could find .. i was not able to find out what kind of bug it was but i took some pictures of it with my webcam ... hopefully you will be able to help me out as in telling me what this bug is and a little about it?
greatly appreciated,
shayla



Hi Shayla,
You have a harmless (unless you are a small insect or spider), Pseudoscorpion. They are arachnids, related to both spiders and scorpions. They have a worldwide distribution and are often found in homes.

Hi Steve,
What a great drawing of a harmless Pseudoscorpion. We have an entire page with some photos. Just click the Pseudoscorpion link in the alphabatized list of the www.whatsthatbug.com homepage.
P.S. They may be eating your mites.

(06/06/2004) harmless Pseudoscorpion
I found this weird bug on my bathroom wall, it freaked me out because I am scared of spiders and it looks like a cross between a spider and a scorpion.  I live in Maine and one of the reasons I love living in Maine because there are no scorpions.  Tell me this isn’t a poisonous scorpion bug so I don’t have to move to Alaska or Antarctica.  
PS are there any human habitable areas that do not have spiders?
Dale Richardson
Addison, Maine



Hi Dale,
While you are right that Pseudoscorpions look like a cross between spiders and scorpions and spiders, both of whom are related, you can rest easy that they are totally harmless, unless you are a small insect. They have no poison glands unlike both spiders and scorpions. I doubt there is a place on earth that does not have spiders, except the bottom of the ocean.

Thanks so much for answering my question so quickly!  I was a bit worried about those pinchy looking things, good to know they're harmless.

thanks for identifying our pseudoscorpion!
(01/24/2004) Hi Bugman,
We just want to say THANKS!  We found a most unusual-looking tiny bug while vacuuming our living room wood floor. It looked like a tick, but with crab-claws! Afraid it was some sort of parasite, we killed it. Then I searched in Google for "bug that looks like a crab or scorpion" and found your site - THANK YOU for putting our minds at ease, though now I feel guilty for killing it, since I found it's a harmless Pseudoscorpion! We have a very old house with a stone foundation; we aren't going to be bug-free so we keep spiders in our unfinished basement as a peaceful co-existence. We know they eat smaller disease-carrying insects, so they are good bugs. While we killed this little guy out of fear, we won't kill any others we see. We'll just relegate them to the basement.
Very cool site; thanks again.
Regards,
Donna

Dear Donna,
I'm happy we could be of service.

Pseudoscorpion
(01/06/2004) Lobster or scorpion bug?
I actually found this little fellow crawling across my arm as I was sitting at the computer working in Sunny Fl. His arms and pinchers are twice the size of his body. He has arms like a scorpion but with a short body and no tail. Sorry about the pic but he is very tiny and my camera is not so great. Any ideas? Thanks, Roy

Dear Roy,
I think your photo of a Pseudoscorpion is beautiful, and it shows the scale of the arachnid. We have inflormation on our Pseudoscorpion page but here is some additional informationfrom Essig's book, Insects and Mites of Western North America: "These minute animals are indeed very interesting in form and habit. The spinning glands enable them to make very compact little webs or sacs within which eggs are laid or molting takes place. They are carnivorous and may often be taken in considerable numbers non or under the bark of trees, under stones, and in old buildings. Occasionally they are found clinging to the legs of flies, stealing a ride, probably as a means of dispersion." They are harmless.

(12/11/2003) I need to have this identified!!
Hi!  I live in Minnesota and yesterday my husband found a really strange bug inour shower wall.  He saved it in a cup for me....it is really SMALL.  I do not have a digital camera, so I will describe it was best as I can.
It is very small, dark brown.  It resembles a tick, but not that flat.  The body shape is round and oval, it has 4 small legs on each side of its body.  The really wierd thing is the rest of it's body.  It has these REALLY long front legs (in addition to the 4 legs on each side) with these scorpion -like claws/pinchers.  There are no antennae.  I have been keeping in it a saline solution, but it will not die!!!  We have never seen anything like this before and hope there are no more where it came from! HA!   
This is how big it is:      --       That is the total length of the body.
Thank you!!!  Anne Wallman
Stewartville, MN

Hi Anne,
You have a Pseudoscorpion.

(11/9/2003) Hi,
I was cleaning my washroom today, and come to think of it I have seen one of these in my living room previously (crawling on my couch). These bugs are brown about the size of a grain of rice (but thinner), they look like they have 6 legs, and perhaps wings ( I have never seen them fly before). They are flat, and it looks like they have a shell, but they squish quite easily. Here's the part that scared me, when I was cleaning the washroom, I sprayed some cleaner in the tub, got a drink and when I cam back, the bug was laying in the bottom of the tub, upon closer looking it had little claws or pinchers (kind of like a lobster). After doing some research I thought it was a pantry beetle, but I have never seen pictures of pantry beetles with pinchers.
I have attached a couple of pictures, hopefully they help.
Many thanks in advance,
Ben

Dear Ben,
You have killed a harmless Pseudoscorpion which belongs to the order Chelonethida or Pseudoscorpionida. They are also called Book Scorpions. They are small arachnids. They eat small insects hence are beneficial.

(7/11/2003) hi
I live in Minnesota and have had a bit of a shock when I discovered pseudoscorpions visiting my home. At first we didn't have a clue what they were and looked up all sorts of possibilities before finally stumbling on their true identity.I know that they are harmless but my mom goes CRAAAAZY at the site of any sort of insect in the house. So, I was wondering if regular anti-bug chemicals would work such as bugbombs, sprays, etc.. the reasons that we want to go to these extremes is because I have found 3 of them in my room(2 of which were in my bed) and can't figure out how they got there besides grabbing a ride with the laundry which is done in the basement. And from reading on them they apparently like damp places, which would explain a lot since water leaks into the basement whenever it rains. Problem is this can't be helped or prevented at the moment. And like I said my mom is going nuts (I can't say that I'm too enthusiastic at the thought of them being in my bed either). We were also wondering why they became so prevalent all of the sudden since we have never seen them in our house before and have now found 4 in the past month (3 in my room, 2 in my bed, 1 dead one caught in a cobweb). Any info on the extermination of these bugs would be greatly appreciated!
Th

Sorry Th,
Your best source for any erradication decision is a local exterminator, though that sounds like extreme measures to me. We promote coexistance with the lower beasts.

(7/11/03)Hello,
I seen the weirdest bug ever! I'm not sure what it was. It was very small, like the body of a fruit fly but it had about 3 legs on each side of it, but it also had 2 long pincher legs in the front of it. It looked like a very small crab. I found it in my daughters room on the wall. I'm suprised I noticed it because it was so small. Please if you know what kind of bug this is and if it is dangerous at all, I would like to know, so I can't get rid of them, if theres more then one. What caused them to show up all of a sudden? Please respond as soon as you can thank you, and have a good day.
Sincerely,
Shondra Besecker

Dear Shondra,
They are harmless, despite being called pseudoscorpions. There is no need to get rid of them since they will eat other insects that find their way into your house.

(4/27/2003)Hi Mr. Bugman,
We found this on our daughter's wall in her bedroom and of course think the worst.  We thought it was a tick.  My husband says it's "pinchers" were open.  Can't find it on the net anywhere.  Any ideas???
Thanks,
Itchy in Syracuse, NY

Dear Itchy,
It is a harmless pseudoscorpion.

2/13/02 Help!I have crabs! Well, at least it looks like crabs... Actually, I'm kidding. I found a tiny little crawler in my shower today and I've never seen one before. I'm hoping you might tell me what the heck it is. It appeared to be crab-like, more like a scorpion without a tail but it was only about a millimeter long with two longer "pincer" type arms in the front. Am I being invaded? I live in western Alberta, Canada, if that helps at all...
     D

Dear D,
   You have harmless Pseudoscorpions.