Phrynus longipes

Appearance

The body of ''P. longipes'' can measure up to 19 millimetres long, but its front legs can reach 250 millimetres long . Like other Amblypygi, ''Phrynus longipes'' has eight pairs of legs with six used for walking and the first employed as sensory organs for detecting prey and navigating their environment. Its cephalothorax is wider than it is long and is outfitted with eight eyes. One pair of eyes is located in front and 3 more pairs on the sides. They produce no venom, but instead have arm-like pedipalps and a pair of smaller chelicerae.

Behavior

''P. longipes'' use 3 pairs of ambulatory legs to move sideways as a crab would and 1 pair for sensory purposes. They capture prey using, arm-like pedipalps. ''P. longipes'' engage in aognistic contests over territories, where opponents use a series of displays to communicate their resource holding potential to wouldbe usurpers . Additionally, ''P. longipes'' is occasionally cannibalistic.

Reproduction

During courtship, the male and female ''P. longipes'' exhibiting ritualized displays in a stereotyped sequence. Males deposit a spermatophore the the female retrieved to fertilize eggs. After a few weeks to months she exudes a brood sac containing from 40 to 90 eggs. Newly-hatched offspring move to the mothers dorsal opisthosoma before molting once more into a free-living stage.