Woman claims Middle East spider in Utah

OGDEN, Utah, July 10 (UPI) -- An Ogden, Utah, woman said she discovered a spider in her home that she believes to be a species native to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lynnelle Carson said she caught the alleged camel spider in the living room of the home she recently moved into with her family, the Ogden Standard-Examiner reported Thursday.

"I was working in the living room around 2 a.m. and I looked down and thought, 'Hey, there's a camel spider, I've got to catch that,'" Carson said.

Carson said she learned to recognize the species, which can grow to up to 6 inches long and can run at speeds of up to 10 mph, after her son found one at the family's previous home on an Air Force base several years ago.

"They're not supposed to be here (in Utah). I've heard people say they are coming in luggage or on planes, so we're introducing these spiders here now," she said.

Camelspider.net, a Web site devoted to the species, said the creatures are not actually spiders, but solpugids, which are also members of the arachnid class.

"These creatures are usually not dangerous to humans, but dangerous or not, these creatures are horrifying to encounter," the Web site said.