Name: Hooded tickspiders; Podogona.
Clades:
Arachnida.
Members: 3 genera; 2 families; 4 fossil genera.
Genera: Cryptocellus; Pseudocellus, Ricinoides.
Region: Neotropical; Ricinoides in west-central Africa.
ZoologyRicinulei are small, 5 to 10 mm long.
Skin: cuticle or exoskeleton of both the legs and body is remarkably thick.
Head: most notable is a "hood" (or cucullus) which can be raised and lowered over the head, covering the mouth and the chelicerae.
Lack of eyes; two pairs of lateral eyes can be seen in fossils and even living species retain light-sensitive areas of cuticle in this position.
Food: predatory, eating small arthropods.