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Animal profile

Hooded Tickspider

ArachnidaLeaf litter, caves and moist soil in tropical forest, always in darkness and high humidity

Field profile

Hooded tickspiders, order Ricinulei, are heavy-bodied arachnids five to ten millimetres long with a hinged hood that folds down over the mouthparts. Only about 100 living species are known. They are among the least observed arachnids on Earth.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-06-04

Hooded Tickspider

The hooded tickspider mates using a modified leg

Male ricinuleids transfer sperm not with their pedipalps, as spiders do, but with a specialised structure on the third pair of walking legs. The order also carries a hinged hood, the cucullus, that swings down to cover the mouthparts.

Read with evidence →

Hooded Tickspider | Daily Animal Facts