A rarity among arachnids, whip spiders have a sociable family life

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A mother amblypygid with several of her 7-month-old offspring. Their whips are touching one another. Credit: Linda RayorCornell
A mother amblypygid with several of her 7-month-old offspring. Their whips are touching one another. Credit: Linda Rayor/Cornell

Whip spiders, considered by many to be creepy-crawly, are giving new meaning to the term touchy-feely. In two species of whip spiders, or amblypygids, mothers caress their young with long feelers, siblings stick together until they reach sexual maturity, and all mix in social groups. This is surprising behavior for these arachnids long-thought to be purely aggressive and anti-social, according to a Cornell researcher.


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