Chthoniidae Daday, 1888
Family
The Chthoniidae was first recognized as a distinct subfamily of pseudoscorpions by Daday (1888) and treated as a full family by Hansen (1894). The modern definition of the chthoniids—without the inclusion of the Tridenchthoniidae or its synonym Dithidae—can be traced back to Chamberlin (1931). Beier (1932) added the Pseudotyrannochthoniini, which was elevated to family level by Judson (1993c). Apart from the inclusion of many new genera, the only other major change was the removal of Lechytia to a separate family (Harvey, 1992).
Schawaller (1980c) presented a phylogenetic analysis for the Chthonioidea suggesting that the Dithidae (now called the Tridenchthoniidae) and the pseudotyrannochthoniines represented the sister-group to the Chthoniini and Lechytiini.
The family contains 28 genera, which are arranged in three tribes: Chthoniini, Ayyaloniini and Tyrannochthoniini.
Members of the family Chthoniidae are distributed in most regions of the world, and mainly occurs in leaf litter, soil, under rocks and stones, or within caves. Troglobitic chthoniids are also found in most regions of the world.
Chamberlin, J.C. (1962). New and little-known false scorpions, principally from caves, belonging to the families Chthoniidae and Neobisiidae (Arachnida, Chelonethida). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 123: 303-352.
Muchmore, W.B. (1984). Pseudoscorpions from Florida and the Caribbean area. 13. New species of Tyrannochthonius and Paraliochthonius from the Bahamas, with discussion of the genera (Chthoniidae). Florida Entomologist 67: 119-126.
Schawaller, W. (1980c). Fossile Chthoniidae in Dominikanischem Bernstein, mit phylogenetischen Anmerkungen (Stuttgarter Bernsteinsammlung: Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionidea). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde (B) 63: 1-19.Pseudotyrannochthonius sp. from Australia (Image: M. Harvey)
Pseudoscorpions in this family
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Anisoditha Chamberlin and R.V. Chamberlin, 1945
1 species -
Aphrastochthonius Chamberlin, 1962
13 species -
Apochthonius Chamberlin, 1929
24 species -
Austrochthonius Chamberlin, 1929
18 species -
Ayyalonia Ćurčić, 2008
1 species -
Caribchthonius Muchmore, 1976
2 species -
Chiliochthonius Vitali-di Castri, 1976
2 species -
Chthonius C.L. Koch, 1843
229 species -
Congochthonius Beier, 1959
1 species -
Drepanochthonius Beier, 1964
1 species -
Francochthonius Vitali-di Castri, 1976
1 species -
Kleptochthonius Chamberlin, 1949
39 species -
Lagynochthonius Beier, 1951
43 species -
Malcolmochthonius Benedict, 1978
3 species -
Maorichthonius Chamberlin, 1925
1 species -
Mexichthonius Muchmore, 1975
3 species -
Mundochthonius Chamberlin, 1929
24 species -
Neochthonius Chamberlin, 1929
4 species -
Paraliochthonius Beier, 1956
21 species -
Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892
28 species -
Sathrochthoniella Beier, 1967
1 species -
Sathrochthonius Chamberlin, 1962
8 species -
Spelyngochthonius Beier, 1955
6 species -
Troglochthonius Beier, 1939
2 species -
Tyrannochthoniella Beier, 1966
1 species -
Tyrannochthonius Chamberlin, 1929
137 species -
Vulcanochthonius Muchmore, 2000
3 species