Pseudoscorpions of the World

Last updated: 19 January 2009

Version 1.2, 2009
Text Box: Atemnidae Text Catalogue Bochicidae Text Catalogue Cheiridiidae Text Catalogue Cheliferidae Text Catalogue Chernetidae Text Catalogue Chthoniidae Text Catalogue Dracochelidae Text Catalogue Feaellidae Text Catalogue Garypidae Text Catalogue Garypinidae Text Catalogue Geogarypidae Text Catalogue Gymnobisiidae Text Catalogue Hyidae Text Catalogue Ideoroncidae Text Catalogue Larcidae Text Catalogue Lechytiidae Text Catalogue Menthidae Text Catalogue Neobisiidae Text Catalogue Olpiidae Text Catalogue Parahyidae Text Catalogue Pseudochiridiidae Text Catalogue Pseudogarypidae Text Catalogue Sternophoridae Text Catalogue Syarinidae Text Catalogue Tridenchthoniidae Text Catalogue Withiidae Text Catalogue Text Box: Home Text Box: What are pseudoscorpions? Text Box: Phylogeny Text Box: Classification & list of families Text Box: Literature Text Box: List of genera, alphabetical Text Box: Numbers of Recent taxa Text Box: Fossils Text Box: Full classification Text Box: Nomina dubia & nomina nuda Text Box: Species by country

History

 

The family Gymnobisiidae was first recognized by Beier (1947) for Gymnobisium from South Africa. The family was enlarged by Beier (1956) to include the family Vachoniidae, first described by Chamberlin (1947). Vital-di Castri (1963) added Mirobisium (described by Beier in 1931) and the new genus Vachonobisium, both from South America. Muchmore (1972) demonstrated that the Vachoniidae were quite distinct from the Gymnobisiidae, thus restricting the family to its modern limits.

 

Composition

 

The family contains only four genera (Gymnobisium, Beierobisium, Mirobisium and Vachonobisium) and only 11 species.

 

Distribution

 

The Gymnobisiidae are highly restricted in distribution with Gymnobisium found in South Africa, Beierobisium on the Falkland Islands, and Mirobisium and Vachonobisium in mainland South America.

 

Important references

 

Muchmore, W.B. (1972). New diplosphyronid pseudoscorpions, mainly cavernicolous, from Mexico (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionida). Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 91: 261-276.

 

Vitali-di Castri, V. (1963). La familia Vachoniidae (= Gymnobisiidae) en Chile (Arachnidea, Pseudoscorpionida). Investigaciones Zoológicas Chilenas 10: 27-82.

 

 

Family Gymnobisiidae Beier 1947
Text Box: Gymnobisium sp. from South Africa (male) (Image: M. Harvey) Text Box: Vachonobisium troglophilum from Chile (male) (Image: M. Harvey)