Pseudoscorpions of the World

Last updated: 19 January 2009

Version 1.2, 2009

History

 

The family was first proposed by Balzan (1892) for an unusual juvenile pseudoscorpion from South America, Tridenchthonius parvulus. The generic name was derived from the three blades of the galea; multiple galeal blades are found in all recorded tridenchthoniid nymphs. Chamberlin (1929) described the subfamily Dithinae within the Chthoniidae, which was later found to represent the same group as Tridenchthoniidae.

 

Composition

 

The family is divided into two subfamilies, the Tridenchthoniinae and the Verrucadithinae. The former contains eight genera, whilst the latter contains seven genera.

 

Distribution

 

Tridenchthoniids are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and are usually found in leaf litter, soil, under stones or under bark of trees.

 

Important references

 

Chamberlin, J.C. and Chamberlin, R.V. (1945). The genera and species of the Tridenchthoniidae (Dithidae). A family of the arachnid order Chelonethida. Bulletin of the University of Utah, Biological Series 9 (2): 1-67.

Family Tridenchthoniidae Balzan 1892