Insects and Arachnids

Arthropods are an extremely diverse group, making up over 85% of all living animal species. They have been around for a very long time - trilobites lived in the ocean 500 million years ago. Many people think that the desert is full of vicious creatures that love to bite and sting. There are certainly plenty of "creepy-crawlies", but they aren't just waiting to sink their fangs into you. Click on the pictures to learn more about some of these fascinating creatures.

Recommendations from our bookstore:
A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert edited by Steven J. Phillips and Patricia Wentworth Comus
Poisonous Dwellers of the Desert by Trevor Hare
Insects of the Southwest by Floyd Werner and Carl Olson
Scorpions and Venomous Insects of the Southwest by Erik D. Stoops and Jeffrey L. Martin
Action Book of Insects and Spiders by Tim Mayer

Scorpion	Tarantula	Velvet Ant
Millipede	Pinacate Beetle	Centipede