Spider ID needed!
I have just returned from the Lut desert of Iran where this spider dropped from above (there was a date tree and a house roof where it could have come from) onto me. I quickly brushed it off but it's hairs stuck in my hand and my hand started to swell and was very painful. With tweezers I got the hairs out and there were no further effects.
Please note, I didn't kill the spider!!
Please help me ID him, I am fascinated to know!!
This is not a spider, but a related arachnid in the order Solfugae. They are non-venomous but large specimens reportedly can deliver a painful bite. Your account is interesting in that I am unaware of any reports of these creatures having hairs that can cause irritation. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solifugae for additional information.
Thank you for your reply. On further research that ID fits precisely, it was evening time (the nocturnal aspect) and it moved very very quickly. This particular one was slightly bigger than the size of my open hand.
I found one reference to the hairs on the Internet, a person who grew up in Africa gave an account of one running across his and his brothers' back as they lay on the floor and leaving them with blisters from the hairs.
Anyway, I am grateful for the ID and being able to therefore find out more about it. Thank you
