Pseudoscorpions are tiny scorpion-like arthropods, with a flat, pear-shaped body with two sections, eight five-segmented legs, and simple eyes.

The color of the body can be yellowish-tan to dark-brown, with the paired claws often a contrasting color. They have two very long pedipalps, or pincers, which strongly resemble the scorpion's claws, but the pseudoscorpion's abdomen is short and rounded at the rear, rather than extending into a segmented tail and sting.

The movable part of the pincer contains a venom gland and duct; the poison is used to capture and immobilize their tiny prey. They do not bite.

To digest prey, they pour a mildly corrosive fluid over the prey, then ingest the liquefied remains.

They spin silk from a gland in their jaws to make disk-shaped cocoons for mating, molting, or enduring cold weather.