拟蝎目(學名:Pseudoscorpionida),又名書蠍目,是一些小型种类,体长多小于8mm,稀有达到厘米的,所以平時甚少被察覺。其体型似蝎,故名。但它们腹部几近等宽,而无腹部和后腹部之分,也无蛰針。擬蠍常透過攜播行為進行長距離的移動,广泛分布于朽叶、土壤、树皮下石下或苔藓植物中,有些种在沿海潮间带的漂浮物或海藻上。由于它们个体太小,又加栖息地性质等原因而很少被人注意。实际上它们广泛存在,而且种类丰富,已知有430屬3,300余种,在某些地区密度很大。[1]
拟蝎目生物一般對人類無害,因為他們依靠衣蛾幼蟲、鰹節蟲幼蟲、囓蟲、螞蟻、蟎與小型雙翅目作食糧。
- 體型微小,體長大約只有2至8毫米(0.08至0.31英寸)[2],最大型的種類為阿森松島的Garypus titanius[3],體長可達12 mm(0.5英寸)[4][5],不過大多種類偏小,平均約只有3 mm(0.1英寸)[6],身體區分為頭胸部與腹部,腹部分作12節。
- 頭胸部有一對由觸肢特化的螯鉗與四對足。足分作5至7節,節數常是科學家用來分類擬蠍的依據。螯鉗上具有毒腺,用來捕捉與麻痺獵物。
- 尾部末端無鉤螫或細鞭[7]。
- Mark Harvey. Pseudoscorpions of the World
- Joseph C. Chamberlin (1931): The Arachnid Order Chelonethida. Stanford University Publications in Biological Science. 7(1): 1–284.
- Clarence Clayton Hoff (1958): List of the Pseudoscorpions of North America North of Mexico. American Museum Novitates. 1875. PDF
- Max Beier (1967): Pseudoscorpione vom kontinentalen Südost-Asien. Pacific Insects 9(2): 341–369. PDF
- Peter Weygoldt. The biology of pseudoscorpions. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. 1969. ISBN 978-0674074255 (Full text e-book). [永久失效連結]
- P. D. Gabbutt (1970): Validity of Life History Analyses of Pseudoscorpions. Journal of Natural History 4: 1–15.
- W. B. Muchmore (1982): Pseudoscorpionida. In "Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms." Vol. 2. Parker, S.P.
- J. A. Coddington, S. F. Larcher & J. C. Cokendolpher (1990): The Systematic Status of Arachnida, Exclusive of Acari, in North America North of Mexico. In "Systematics of the North American Insects and Arachnids: Status and Needs." National Biological Survey 3. Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
- Mark S. Harvey (1991): Catalogue of the Pseudoscorpionida. (edited by V . Mahnert). Manchester University Press, Manchester.