Atemnid Pseudoscorpions - Family: Atemnidae
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To accommodate the Genus: Atemnus, the Family: Atemnidae as well as the Subfamily: Artemninae were first erected in 1929 by the Japanese arachnologist Hyukichi Kishida (1888-1968) who was also the editor of a 'rare and obscure'* natural history journal from Japan called; Lansania, Journal of Arachnology and Zoology, published intermittently between 1929 and 1941. The family is now divided into two subfamilies containing 194 species in 21 genera. Only one species has so far been identified from the Northern Rivers though.
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It is generally accepted that the genera within the Atemnidae are poorly defined and that more research is required to make the family as a whole better organised. Of the two subfamilies, the Atemninae is the largest with 15 genera and its species are generally more widespread around the globe including south-west W.A. and eastern and south-eastern Australia The Miratemninae, the smaller subfamily with 6 genera, is more restricted in its distrubution, occurring mainly in southern Europe, Africa, central Asia and parts of the Americas.
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* = See Tennent, J., Yasuda, M. and Morimoto, K., (2008) for more information on this publication and its - possibly - most unfortunate fate.
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The Atemnidae appear in the fossil record some 38 - 34 My ago during the Paleogene. The oldest fossils have so far been found in amber from the Baltic area with finds from more recent times discovered in Mexico (in 23 - 16 My old amber) and in Colombia where they have been found in 'copal' (= hardened tree resin) dated as from the Quaternary, 11,000 years ago to recent.
As with most small to very small arthropods, recorded sightings and positive identifications thereof are scarce. The small animals are searched for mainly by those with specific interests in them and those searches tend to be highly localised. It is therefore entirely feasible that more species of this family abound in the Northern Rivers region; they just need to be found, identified and recorded. |
Subfamily: Atemninae
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Oratemnus punctatus
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Pseudoscorpiones (Pseudoscorpions)
> Suborder: Iocheirata
> Infraorder: Panctenata
> Zoosection: Elassommatina
> Superfamily: Cheliferoidea
> Family: Atemnidae (Atemnid Pseudoscorpions)
> Subfamily: Atemninae
> Genus: Oratemnus
> Species: O. punctatus
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Kishida, K., (1929). ‘On the criteria to classify chelifers’. Lansania 1(8): 124.
> Klausen, F.E., (2005). ‘The male genitalia of the family Atemnidae (Pseudoscorpiones).’ Journal of Arachnology 33: 641-662.
> Tennent, J., Yasuda, M. and Morimoto, K., (2008). ‘Lansania Journal of Arachnology and Zoology - a rare and obscure Japanese natural history journal.’ Archives of natural history. 35. 252-80. doi:10.3366/E0260954108000387.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copal
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-7655.html
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/atemnidae
> Kishida, K., (1929). ‘On the criteria to classify chelifers’. Lansania 1(8): 124.
> Klausen, F.E., (2005). ‘The male genitalia of the family Atemnidae (Pseudoscorpiones).’ Journal of Arachnology 33: 641-662.
> Tennent, J., Yasuda, M. and Morimoto, K., (2008). ‘Lansania Journal of Arachnology and Zoology - a rare and obscure Japanese natural history journal.’ Archives of natural history. 35. 252-80. doi:10.3366/E0260954108000387.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copal
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-7655.html
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/atemnidae
Photographic contributions: