what did this guy see?

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Some one I know came back from Big Bend national park in Texas. He said they were staying in a cabin. They caught an arthropod that was about 2 or 3 inches long inside the cabin on the wall and let it go outside. This is not an arthropod/natural sciences person. An engineer. Anyway, he said it looked like the front half of a scorpion. He said it looked like the back half was "missing". I emailed him a picture of a tailless whip scorpion, and a Mastigoproctus gigantea. He said "no". What else could it be?.....the front half of a scorpion?.....Sounds like an Amblypygi to me but never heard of one with a body that big in Tx. When he saw the picture of the Tailless, he said no, it was bigger than that. I wonder if he got hold of a Peyote cactus out there?
 

cacoseraph

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Galapoheros said:
Some one I know came back from Big Bend national park in Texas. He said they were staying in a cabin. They caught an arthropod that was about 2 or 3 inches long inside the cabin on the wall and let it go outside. This is not an arthropod/natural sciences person. An engineer. Anyway, he said it looked like the front half of a scorpion. He said it looked like the back half was "missing". I emailed him a picture of a tailless whip scorpion, and a Mastigoproctus gigantea. He said "no". What else could it be?.....the front half of a scorpion?.....Sounds like an Amblypygi to me but never heard of one with a body that big in Tx. When he saw the picture of the Tailless, he said no, it was bigger than that. I wonder if he got hold of a Peyote cactus out there?
so did he say it looked like the front half of a scorp cuz it had claws?
 

Empi

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I found a bug last weekend that looked like a mix between a scorpion and a cricket but it was not that big. It had the body of a cricket and had pinchers like a scorpion. :?
 

Bigboy

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Are you sure it was as big as he said, most non bug people tend to overexagerate.
 

Galapoheros

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Yea, he said it had claws. When he was talking about it, I was imagining a giant pseudo scorpion. That would be a cool thing to have if there was such a thing. But you know, it could have been something ridiculous like a big roach or grasshopper. These creatures just don't catch the interest of most other people like they do us. But this guy is pretty sharp. Can't figure it out. You wouldn't see a Mastigoproctus gigantea on the wall unless it was a rock wall which it could very well be. I never have been inside the cabins at Big Bend. The description was that of a Amblypygi. Oh, well, who the hell knows. I will talk to him later and hopefully get more info.
 

GQ.

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How about a solfugid, also known as a sunspider? Do a search for sunspider and show the photo to him. I often have people tell me they caught something that looks like a cross between a scorpion and an ant. Invariably it turns out to be a sunspider.
 

Stylopidae

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cacoseraph

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GQ. said:
How about a solfugid, also known as a sunspider? Do a search for sunspider and show the photo to him. I often have people tell me they caught something that looks like a cross between a scorpion and an ant. Invariably it turns out to be a sunspider.
oh, good guess!
 

Galapoheros

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Thought Jerusalem crickets were on the west coast but I will show it to him. I have mole crickets in my backyard...hmmmm, Yea, I'll show him. A solifugid..that might be what he saw. But I've had a few of those and know they are pretty fast and this dude isn't. Think he'd be scared of it. But you might be right. You all could be right. Sure has my curiosity up. It's buggin me. I showed him this picture and he said, "no, it was bigger than that." I think he said it was black. I will talk to him again. Thanks for the input! Good ideas.
 

Galapoheros

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empi said:
I found a bug last weekend that looked like a mix between a scorpion and a cricket but it was not that big. It had the body of a cricket and had pinchers like a scorpion. :?
Closest thing I can think of to that would be a mole cricket. I need to take my camera everywhere. A small cheapy a good idea.
 

Empi

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I wish I would have had a camera because the bug I saw was not a jerusalem cricket or a mole cricket. It had very distinct pinchers. Oh well.
 
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