
Community identification
Pseudoscorpion
Chelifer cancroides (common example)
- Order & Family
- Order Pseudoscorpiones; Family Cheliferidae
- Size
- 2 to 8 millimeters (0.08 to 0.31 inches)
Natural Habitat
Leaf litter, under bark, in caves, or inside homes (often in bathrooms or libraries)
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on small arthropods like booklice, mites, and fly larvae
Behavior Patterns
They use their pincer-like pedipalps to catch prey and sometimes hitch rides on larger insects (phoresy) to move to new locations
Risks & Benefits
Beneficial to ecosystems and homes as they eat household pests like booklice and mites; they are harmless to humans and do not sting or bite