Paraphrynus laevifrons
species of arachnid
Paraphrynus laevifrons is a species of whipspider from Central America.
Description
Like all amblypygi, Paraphrynus laevifrons walks on six legs, the front pair of legs being elongated to serve as delicate sensory appendages. The pedipalps are adapted into spiny appendages used to capture prey. The species measures between 18 and 28 mm (0.71 and 1.10 in) in total body length. It can be separated from other species in its genus by examining the spines on its pedipalps.
Behavior
As with other amblypygids, P. laevifrons are able to navigate back to their home refuge after hunting during the night. A 2017 study showed that individuals are able to return to their home location after being displaced by up to 10 meters even when completely blinded. However, preventing the amblypygi from using their antenniform legs largely removed their homing ability. The authors hypothesize that olfaction plays an essential role in amblypygid homing.
Distribution and habitat
Paraphrynus laevifrons is widely distributed throughout Central America and Southern North America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q10619040. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2017.
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This entry incorporates text from “Paraphrynus laevifrons” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.