The Order Ricinulei is a small group of arachnids commonly known as hooded tick spiders. They are characterized by a movable hood (cucullus) that covers the mouthparts, a compact, segmented body, and short, robust legs adapted for burrowing and navigating leaf litter or soil. Ricinuleids are cryptic and secretive, primarily found in tropical regions of Africa and Central and South America. They are predators of small invertebrates, feeding mostly on mites and springtails, and are notable for their unique reproductive behavior, in which males transfer sperm via a specialized leg structure called a copulatory organ. This order is rare and of interest mainly to specialists in arachnology due to its evolutionary significance and unusual morphology.