Pseudoscorpion
A pseudoscorpion (or book scorpion) is an arachnid. They can be 2 to 8 millimetres (0.079 to 0.315 in) long.[1] The largest known species is Garypus titanius of Ascension Island at 12 millimetres (0.47 in).[2][3]
| Pseudoscorpions (false scorpions) Temporal range: Devonian 380 mya
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| Order: | Pseudoscorpionida Haeckel, 1866
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Pseudoscorpions eat clothes moth larvae, carpet beetle larvae, booklice, ants, mites, and small flies. Because of this, they are liked by humans. The pseudoscorpions are small and cannot harm humans. They are rarely seen because of their size. Some species of pseudoscorpions do a "mating dance" to attract mates.[4] The eggs will stay with the mother until the pseudoscorpions are about a month old.[5] There are more than 3,300 species of pseudoscorpions recorded.[6][7] The oldest known fossil of pseudoscorpions dates back 380 million years to the Devonian period.
Pseudoscorpion Media
Phoretic pseudoscorpion (Lamprochernes sp.) on a fly, Germany
Example of pseudoscorpions preserved in amber. (a) Progonatemnus succineus, (b) Roncus succineus, (c) Chelignathus kochii, (d) Neobisium exstinctum, (e) Electrochelifer balticus, (f) Cheiridium hartmanni, (g) Geogarypus macrodactylus, (h) Microcreagris koellneri
References
- ↑ Pennsylvania State University, Department: Entomological Notes: Pseudoscorpion Fact Sheet
- ↑ Endemic invertebratesAscension Island Conservation Centre. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ↑ PseudoscorpionsAgricultural Research Council (South Africa). Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ↑ Peter Weygoldt. Spermatophore web formation in a pseudoscorpion. Science 153 (3744) (1966). p. 1647–1649. doi:10.1126/science.153.3744.1647.
- ↑ Heather C. Proctor. Mating biology resolves trichotomy for cheliferoid pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpionida, Cheliferoidea). Journal of Arachnology 21 (2) (1993). p. 156–158.
- ↑ William A. Shear, Wolfgang Schawaller & Patricia M. Bonamo. Record of Palaeozoic pseudoscorpions. Nature 342 (6242) (1989). p. 527–529. doi:10.1038/341527a0.
- ↑ Wolfgang Schawaller, William A. Shear & Patricia M. Bonamo. The first Paleozoic pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionida). American Museum Novitates (3009) (1991).
Further reading
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Wikispecies has information on: Pseudoscorpiones. |
- Harvey M.S. 2011. Pseudoscorpions of the World, version 2.0. Western Australian Museum, Perth. Pseudoscorpions of the World
- Joseph C. Chamberlin 1931. The Arachnid Order Chelonethida. Stanford University Publications in Biological Science. 7(1): 1–284.
- W.B. Muchmore 1982. Pseudoscorpionida. In Synopsis and classification of living organisms. Vol 2, Parker, S.P.