Wood scorpion

Cercophonius squama

Description:

I saw a pirate spider take on a scorpion today.
It put one bite onto the scorpion's tarsii and the scorpion was immediately paralysed. It then attached a line to it and hauled it up to it's nesting place and wrapped it into a ball of silk.

Habitat:

Suburban back yard on brick retaining wall.

Notes:

Pirate has very potent bite for smaller creatures. Added pic#4 flash full on for spider ID. Pirate Spider (Australomimetus sp.) http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showima...

1 Species ID Suggestions

MartinL 12 years ago

Wood scorpion

Cercophonius squama Southern or Wood Scorpion - Cercophonius squama: Museum Victoria

8 Comments

Atul 12 years ago

super spotting Argy!

ShannaB 12 years ago

Ah, that's my natural colour... ; )

LarsKorb 12 years ago

great series

ShannaB 12 years ago

You're on fire!

Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

Thanks for the ID martin. It's amazing to think a little pholcid can take a scorpion but it did it so easily. That's 2 pretty impressive targets we've watched the pholcids take easily.

MartinL 12 years ago

You do have good eyes argybee. This is the southern, or wood scorpion and they are painful but not dangerous to humans, and apparently, not to spiders either. What a good observation!