The Super Fearsome Sun Spider
The sun, or wind, spider (Galeodes arabs, for example), also called the solifuge,
is a powerful and voracious predator, found chiefly in desert and arid regions
across Africa, Asia, and central and southern North America. Although not a true
spider, it closely resembles one, with an outsized head and massive fangs. It lacks
a poison bite and instead hunts by racing at speed over the substrate and jabbing
its fangs deep into its prey, which might be a grasshopper, a true splder, lizard, or
even a small rodent, such as a mouse. The solifuge’s head and body reach 5
centimeters (2 in.) in length, and with its spread legs it may be the size of an
outstretched human hand. Six legs are speeialized for fast running, with the
slimmer front pair being used as feelers in the manner of an insect’s antennae