Arthropods Common to Florida

Shrimp

• Shrimp are a plentiful type of Florida Arthropod. Pearly-textured pink shrimp are the most abundant. Called Florida pinks, or gulf shrimp, they are the largest Gulf species. Royal red and brown shrimp are found in the Gulf and Atlantic sides of Florida. White shrimp have grayish colored shells and inhabit the northern Atlantic coast. Rock shrimp are a small species with a hard shell. Called the "small lobster" the shrimp resemble a tiny lobster tail.

Crabs

• Crabs are a type of Arthropod crustacean common to all of Florida's coastal regions. Blue crabs and Florida's two species of stone crabs are seafood delicacies. Only the crabs' claws are harvested and they soon grow a new one. Blue crabs are a distinctive blue-green color with bright red pincers. Multi-legged horseshoe crabs are found in great numbers on Florida beaches during mating season. The species originated about 450 million years ago. Fiddler crabs feature a disproportionately large claw.

Spiders

• Spiders are a common Arthropod found throughout Florida. Crab spiders and zebra-striped jumping spiders ambush their prey instead of building webs. Wolf spiders are one of the most numerous species and live in underground burrows, emerging to hunt insects for food. Black and yellow argiope spiders are a large species living in elaborate webs along the edges of woods. The green lynx spider is a common species found in the leaves of weeds and shrubs. The spiny orb-weaver is Florida's most colorful spider.

Scorpions

• While none of Florida's three scorpion species is lethal, the Arthropods deliver a painful wasp-like sting. A scorpion's fleshy, curled up tail has a venomous stinger at its tip. The Hentz striped scorpion is Florida's smallest and most common species. It inhabits the entire state except for the lower Keys. Florida's largest species is the bark scorpion, also called the slender brown scorpion. The Guiana striped scorpion is intermediate in size. Florida scorpions glow with a phenomena called fluorescence when put under an ultra-violet light.