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I find this bug while hiking the Toiyabe Crest Trail in Nevada. It was probably 2 inches long and at an elevation of somewhere around 6,000 feet or so.

enter image description here

I did decided that I didn't want to camp anywhere close to the thing.

Does anyone know what kind of bug this is?

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  • That looks like a camel spider, but I thought they only lived in the middle east...
    – ShemSeger
    Mar 28, 2018 at 4:59
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    Am i the only one who doesn't see the green body here? Looks more grey to me (or I'm probably color blind).
    – Ricketyship
    Mar 29, 2018 at 6:05
  • I also don't really see the green, i guess it could be perceived as a sort of olive drab greenish brown.
    – Nate W
    Mar 29, 2018 at 15:19

2 Answers 2

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That is a camel spider, they became famous on social media when the US invaded Iraq in the middle east where they are more common, and the troops started taking pictures and sending them home. Apparently they are also found in the SW USA, which I didn't know. Good news is they aren't venomous, they just have really nasty jaws that can rip and shred flesh. They're known to "chase" people, but really they're only trying to hide in the shade of people's shadows. If one comes after you, just stop moving and it will stop too, it's just trying to use you as shelter from the sun.

From wikipedia:
enter image description here

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    The Wikipedia article also explains why the camel spider seems to have 5 pairs of legs (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solifugae#Legs_and_pedipalps).
    – fgysin
    Mar 28, 2018 at 10:07
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    They can run up to 10mph which is pretty impressive, they are also related to both scorpions and spiders but are neither.
    – Nate W
    Mar 28, 2018 at 15:15
  • The number of downvotes on this answer really surprise me, because that bug is so very obviously a camel spider.
    – ShemSeger
    Aug 31, 2018 at 14:48
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That looks like a Vinegaroon (not a camel spider), at least that's what my dad called them. Common in the desert SW. They pinch and bite but I don't think they are venomous. They do spray vinegar at you, hence the name.

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  • P.S. those antennae are pedipalps, they use them to scoop the ripped up flesh of their prey into their mouth.
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Mar 28, 2018 at 6:47
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    Update- after a bit of research I found that what we call the Vinegaroon is a relative of the camel spider! Who knew?
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Mar 28, 2018 at 16:40
  • I thought vinegaroons ( aka whip scorpions) generally had pincers in the front, this particular species pictured doesn't appear to have large pincers.
    – Nate W
    Mar 29, 2018 at 15:25
  • Vinegaroons look much more like a scorpion, as can be plainly seen if you google "vinegaroon".
    – ShemSeger
    Aug 31, 2018 at 14:53
  • @shemSeger, yes of course. It is very likely that my father called both animals by the same name out of ignorance. I agree that the photo appears to be a sun spider
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Aug 31, 2018 at 15:34

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