Amazing Arachnids

A richly illustrated and up-close look at the secret lives of spiders and other arachnidsThe American Southwest is home to an extraordinary diversity of arachnids, from spitting spiders that squirt silk over their prey to scorpions that court one another with kissing and dancing. Amazing Arachnids presents these enigmatic creatures as you have never seen them before. Featuring a wealth of color photos of more than 300 different kinds of arachnids from eleven taxonomic orders--both rare and common species-this stunningly illustrated book reveals the secret lives of arachnids in breathtaking detail, including never-before-seen images of their underground behavior.Amazing Arachnids covers all aspects of arachnid biology, such as anatomy, sociality, mimicry, camouflage, and venoms. You will meet bolas spiders that lure their victims with fake moth pheromones, fishing spiders that woo their mates with silk-wrapped gifts, chivalrous cellar spiders, tiny mites, and massive tarantulas, as well as many others. Along the way, you will learn why arachnids are living fossils in some respects and nimble opportunists in others, and how natural selection has perfected their sensory structures, defense mechanisms, reproductive strategies, and hunting methods.

Preface 7Prologue 9
1 Introducing the Arachnids 10
2 Scorpions: 30
Scorpiones
3 Pseudoscorpions: 52
Pseudoscorpiones
4 Vinegaroons: 68
Thelyphonida (Uropygi)
5 Short-Tailed Whipscorpions: 80
Schizomida
6 Tailless Whipscorpions: 88
Amblypygi
7 Microwhipscorpions: 98
Palpigradi
8 Harvestmen: 102
Opiliones
9 Wind Spiders: 114
Solifugae
10 Ticks and Other Mites: 124
Parasitiformes and Acariformes
11 Spiders: 148
Araneae, the Eight-Legged Puzzle
12 Tarantulas, Trapdoor Spiders, and Their Kin: 164
Mygalomorphs
13 Orb Weavers: 184
Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Uloboridae
14 Irregular Web Builders: 196
Theridiidae, Nesticidae, Leptonetidae, Diguetidae, Dictynidae, and Pholcidae
15 Crevice Weavers, Ground Weavers and Sheet Web Builders: 220
Sicariidae, Filistatidae, Plectreuridae, Zoropsidae, Titanoecidae, Amaurobiidae, Oecobiidae, Linyphiidae, and Agelenidae
16 Jumping Spiders: 236
Salticidae
17 Lynx Spiders: 260
Oxyopidae
18 Crab Spiders: 266
Thomisidae, Sparassidae, Philodromidae, Selenopidae, and Zoropsidae
19 Sand Spiders and Wolf Spiders: 274
Homalonychidae and Lycosidae
20 Ghosts, Goblins, Pirates, and Other Wandering Hunters: 284
Mimetidae, Corrinidae, Trachelidae, Gnaphosidae, Caponiidae, Dysderidae, Oonopidae, Anyphaenidae, Miturgidae, Eutichuridae, and Liocranidae
21 Fishing Spiders: 296
Pisauridae and Trechaleidae
22 Spitting Spiders: 306
Scytodidae
23 In the Company of Arachnids 314
Acknowledgments 317
References 318
Index of Common and Scientific Names 323