Terrifying scorpion-tailed spider is discovered in West Australia
A spine-tinging spider with a scorpion tail has been pictured in Western Australia.
The creature was found by Sheila Murray who took the pictures on the south coast of Western Australia when it landed on her hat before rearing her tail and running away.
The species is called Arachnura higginsi, a largely harmless scorpion-tailed spider commonly found across Australia.
A woman has set social media alight posting images of a terrifying spider/scorpion hybrid she found while walking on the south coast of Western Australia
The arachnid, known commonly as the tailed spider or scorpion orb weaver, has no sting in its tail despite the terrifying appearance.
Male arachnura higginsis only grow to 2mm, while females can be as long as 16mm.
'This scorpion tailed spider landed on my hat yesterday, and kept curling and uncurling her tail, raising it above her head, before running away,' Ms Murray posted to the Australian Spider Identification Facebook group.
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Share'I think it's all show - I don't think she has venom at both ends - I think that there is no sting in her tail, and probably her front fangs can't inflict too much damage on a human either!'
The post drew a lot of attention with spider lovers saying 'they'd never seen anything like it'.
'Yes lovely harmless specimen..I’ve handled them regularly here in Denmark,' one person commented, referring to the coastal down in far south-west WA.
The spiders, which weave webs close to the ground, are commonly coloured red, yellow, brown or black.
The species is called Arachnura higginsi, a largely harmless scorpion-tailed spider commonly found across Australia
Similar species of the scorpion-tailed spiders have been found preserved in amber dating back more than 100million years.
The creepy crawlies scurried around the undergrowth of the rainforests of Burma during the age of the dinosaurs.
Their tails were longer that their bodies and were used as a sensory device to seek out prey or escape predators.
Researchers say it's possible that descendants of the creatures might still be alive today in the rainforests of southeast Asia.
A spine-tingling spider with a scorpion-like tail has been found in amber dating back 100 million years. The primitive creature has been named after a monster from Greek mythology that was made of the parts of more than one animal
The finding was made by an international team, including the University of Kansas and colleagues from China, Germany, Virginia and the United Kingdom.
The newly discovered species also had fangs, just like today's arachnids, through which it would inject venom into insects it trapped in pincer like claws.
Four fossils were so perfectly preserved scientists could also identify specialised male sexual organs called pedipalps.
It lived on the islands of Myanmar, formerly Burma, during the mid-Cretaceous when T Rex ruled the planet.
It's the latest in a series of Cretaceous-period fossils from the amber deposits in northern Myanmar's Hukawng Valley.
Arachnura higginsi - The scorpion-tailed spider
Scientific name: Arachnura higginsi or Epeira higginsii
Common names: Scorpion-tailed spider, tailed spider and scorpion orb weaver
The spiders are found across Australia, usually nearer coastal areas
Females reach lengths up to 16mm while males only grow to 2mm
They can be red, yellow, brown or black in colour
They are largely harmless to humans and there are no stings in their tales despite the scorpion-like appearance
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