MALE (MCZ 103144): Total length: 17.82, carapace (Figure 6a), length 9.16, width 8.25,
chelicerae with 10 teeth on promargin.
The third possibility is that the
chelicerae were used to dig or rake the sediment.
Lindquist (1998) clearly showed that in some Trombidiform lineages, the
chelicerae were modified to stylets that were used to perforate the surface of plants and to extract the cellular content of plants.
Field cages were randomly assigned one of four treatments: 1) enclosures with only vegetation, where all herbivorous insects were actively excluded to serve as a control, 2) grasshoppers and vegetation, 3) vegetation, grasshoppers and spiders, and 4) vegetation, grasshoppers, and spiders with their
chelicerae glued with beeswax to prevent them from subduing prey and only acting as intimidating factors.
Chelicerae with 3 posterior teeth, close together, barely fused.
Body [male] Length 6.3 (7.4) ([female]) Width 4.5 (5.3) Basal segment 1.65 (1.7)
Chelicerae Femur Patella Pedipalp 1.4 (1.2) 0.70 (0.65) Leg I 3.0 (2.6) 1.05 (1.02) Leg II 6.2 (6.1) 1.80 (1.7) Leg III 3.3 (3.1) 1.40 (1.3) Leg IV 4.3 (4.2) 1.52 (1.5) Distal segment 1.95 (2.1)
Chelicerae Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total Pedipalp 1.30 (0.9) -- 1.6 (1.4) 5.0 (4.15) Leg I 2.45 (2.4) 3.4 (3.3) 4.8 (4.7) 14.7 (14.02) Leg II 6.00 (5.8) 5.7 (5.5) 10.0 (9.0) 29.7 (28.1) Leg III 3.00 (2.9) 3.7 (3.6) 5.0 (4.9) 16.4 (15.8) Leg IV 4.00 (3.9) 4.8 (4.8) 8.5 (7.8) 23.12 (22.2)
The jawlike
chelicerae rise 90 degrees and then slam fanged tips into the prey.
A medial unpaired labral bud and
chelicerae appeared anterior to the stomodeal invagination.
They then crush the prey with their
chelicerae and suck up the juices.
Sunlight illuminates her body, accentuating the furry body hairs, the minute
chelicerae forking in front of her mouth, ending in hollow fangs.
The mouthparts consist of a pair of segmented palps (feelers), a pair of sharp-bladed
chelicerae (pincers) that slice the skin, and a needlelike hypostome through which blood is sucked.
Chelicerae reddish-yellow with dark spots on the median zone; fingers reddish.
