Pseudoscorpions Might Be Small but They Are Powerful in Large Numbers

Freaky.

July 12, 2023

Pseudoscorpions Might Be Small but They Are Powerful in Large Numbers

Small in size but large in numbers, Pseudoscorpions can pack a punch.

Facebook user JK Daryl Tan recently shared some fascinating closeups to the Nature Society (Singapore) Facebook group, chronicling the final moments of two weaver ants that were ambushed by these critters.

"Imagine you are out foraging on the boardwalk with your fellow ants. You are ever so alert, vigilantly scanning your surroundings for predators. You see nothing and you think it is safe. But there is never nothing. As you step across a gap in the ground, you feel something grab you," Daryl sets the scene in his post.

IMAGE: JK Tan Daryl / Nature Society (Singapore) / Facebook

"And then another. And another. Your legs, your body, even your antennae. In a blink, you are held down. You try to struggle but it is no use. You cannot move."

"You look around and you see some of your buddies in the same predicament. You start to panic."

"Suddenly, you feel a pull on your body. You look to see your buddy trying to pull you free. But try as he might, he cannot get you free."

"You will yourself to move, to help, but your body does not listen to you anymore. Your buddy stops pulling. He is caught in the same situation too! As he is fighting his own battle, you feel the fight leaving you."

"It is the end. And there is nothing you can do about it,"

What are pseudoscorpions?

Also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, these critters are tiny scorpion-like arachnids.

If you find them indoors, you'll be forgiven for mistaking them for ticks.

As scary as they appear, these little guys are actually super helpful in warding off pests such as moth larvae, carpet beetle larvae, booklice, ants, mites, and small flies.

There are over 3,300 species of pseudoscorpions around the world. However, they thrive mostly in the tropics and subtropics.