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Tiny scorpion-like arachnids hunt in vicious packs to bring down large prey 鈥� before carefully sharing out the meat as fairly as possible.

look like miniature scorpions, complete with outsize pincers, but minus the stinger at the back end. At just a few millimeters long, they pose no danger to humans, but are formidable predators of small invertebrates. There are over 3,000 known species.

Most are solitary hunters, but is one of the few that are more sociable. Hailing from Central and South America, these pseudoscorpions , all crowded together in the narrow spaces beneath tree bark. They hunt in packs to take down prey items that dwarf them, like beetles, stinkbugs, ants, and spiders.

Now at the State University of Goi谩s in Morrinhos, Brazil and at the Federal University of Uberl芒ndia in Brazil have studied how the pseudoscorpions work together to capture prey, and how they subsequently divide up the spoils. They collected eight colonies and observed their hunting behaviour in the lab.

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They found adult pseudoscorpions take on different roles during a hunt. The 鈥渁ttackers鈥� actively immobilise the prey, while 鈥減rofiteers鈥� do nothing and simply approach later to feed.

Tizo-Pedroso and Del-Claro found that attackers are the first to feast. However, they make room for the nymphs to get some. Only when the nymphs leave do the profiteers get a bite.

While the way these pseudoscorpions hunt in a pack is reminiscent of lions or wolves, their subsequent behaviour is unique, says Tizo-Pedroso. 鈥淟ions slaughter their prey and share it with the pack,鈥� he says. 鈥淗owever, it is not common to see social animals prioritising the young and the hunters during feeding.鈥�

This seemingly fair system likely helps attackers and nymphs obtain more or better food, while still feeding the profiteers.

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The profiteers may perform other roles besides hunting. In 2011, Tizo-Pedroso and Del-Claro showed that . Males and young females tend to catch prey while others spend more time on colony maintenance and reproduction. The pseudoscorpions鈥� personalities may influence the roles they take, says Tizo-Pedroso.

For these pseudoscorpions, looking out for the next generation and waiting one鈥檚 turn to eat appear to be the secret to a tight-knit community. Tizo-Pedroso says he never saw them act aggressively towards each other. He and Del-Claro previously showed that .