Pseudoscorpion
Sesalac Cave is also home to pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpionida, Pseudoscorpiones), tiny arachnids up to 8 mm long that closely resemble scorpions.
Pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpionida, Pseudoscorpiones)
Pseudo scorpions (Pseudoscorpionida, Pseudoscorpiones) are very small, up to 8 mm long, spider-like animals from the class Arachnida that strongly resemble true scorpions. They are widespread on all continents and are quite common, but due to their small size, they remain unnoticed. More than 3,000 species of pseudo scorpions are known and described. They live in hidden, dark places: in caves, under leaves and stones, under the bark of old trees, in the nests of birds and mammals, on grassy surfaces, and even in old books and paintings.
Appearance and characteristics of pseudoscorpion
The body is divided into two regions:
- The prosoma, on which there are 6 pairs of appendages: chelicerae, pedipalps, and 4 pairs of walking legs;
- The opisthosoma, which consists of 12 segments and contains no appendages.
They differ from true scorpions in that they lack a postabdomen (it is reduced). Their chelicerae are well-developed, as are their claw-like pedipalps. Venom glands are located at the base of the pedipalps, and these glands secrete their venom at the tips of the claws.
What they eat
They feed on small arthropods, catching them with their pedipalps, which are always extended forward, and killing them by injecting venom. The victim is then torn apart by the chelicerae, and maceration and pre-digestion begin. The semi-digested food is sucked up by the foregut.
At the tip of the movable finger of the chelicerae, the ducts of the silk glands open. The secretion from these glands is used for building nests.
How to get to Sesalac Cave
Sesalac Cave is 17 km from Sokobanja, 46 km from Aleksinac, 80 km from Niš, and 245 km from Belgrade. The easiest way to reach the site is from the regional road Sokobanja–Knjaževac, turning north near Čitluk toward the villages of Sesalac and Milušinac, then at the intersection turning left through the village of Sesalac.
