Cheliferid Pseudoscorpions - Family: Cheliferidae
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Named by the French naturalist, Antoine Risso (1777-1845) Cheliferidae is the oldest pseudoscorpion family. It was erected by Risso in 1827 to contain the Genus: Chelifer which itself was first described in 1762. For about a century it was the main family group of pseudoscorpions until it was reorganised in the early 1930's, most notably by the Austrian arachnologist Prof. Dr. Max Beier (1903-1979). The family is currently divided into two subfamilies containing 300 extant species in 59 genera according to the World Catalogue of Pseudoscorpions as of March 2024. A further 12 extinct species from 5 genera are listed with the oldest specimens dating from the Cretaceous, 105 to 100 My ago, and, which were found near the French city of La Rochelle, north of Bordeaux.
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The Cheliferidae have a venom apparatus in both chelal fingers allowing for more effective subjugation of their prey. As with practically all pseudoscorpions, positively telling apart the various species requires close observations of small details.
The Cheliferidae enjoy a worldwide distribution although records are by far most numerous in North and Central America and Europe. In Australia they are found mostly throughout the Great Dividing Range and in the south-west corner of W.A. There are further decently sized populations in Tasmania as well as near Cairns and then there have been sporadic records from other parts of the country. South Australia and the Northern Territory however, seem to be remarkably devoid of Cheliferids. |
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Records from the Northern Rivers cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be described as numerous. As mentioned before, only a few people are involved in pseudoscorpions and so sightings are not all that common. So far only one local species have been positively identified and a second species is a likely candidate for local status. No doubt, in due course, more will emerge.
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Subfamily: Cheliferinae
Tribe: Cheliferini
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Tribe: Dactylocheliferini
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Protochelifer cavernarum
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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: Cheliferidae (Cheliferid Pseudoscorpions)
> Subfamily: Cheliferinae
> Tribe: Cheliferini
> Genus: Chelifer
> Species: C. cancroides *
> Tribe: Dactylocheliferini
> Genus: Protochelifer
> Species: P. cavernarum
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Beier, M., (1932). 'Pseudoscorpionidea II. Subord. C. Cheliferinea.' Tierreich 58: i-xxi, 1-294.
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata : Arachnida).' Invertebrate Taxonomy, Vol. 6, No. 6.
> Judson, M.L.I., (2009). 'Cheliferoid pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Chelonethi) from the Lower Cretaceous of France.' Geodiversitas 31: 61–71.
> Risso, A., (1827). 'Animaux articulés: description de quelques Myriapodes, Scorpionides, Arachnides et Acarides, habitant les Alpes Maritimes.' In: Risso, A. (ed.) 'Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe méridionale et principalement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes.' Levrault, Paris: 147–186.
https://britishspiders.org.uk/system/files/library/050303.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Risso
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/245019-Cheliferidae
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-7653.html
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/cheliferidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/genera/10
> Beier, M., (1932). 'Pseudoscorpionidea II. Subord. C. Cheliferinea.' Tierreich 58: i-xxi, 1-294.
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata : Arachnida).' Invertebrate Taxonomy, Vol. 6, No. 6.
> Judson, M.L.I., (2009). 'Cheliferoid pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Chelonethi) from the Lower Cretaceous of France.' Geodiversitas 31: 61–71.
> Risso, A., (1827). 'Animaux articulés: description de quelques Myriapodes, Scorpionides, Arachnides et Acarides, habitant les Alpes Maritimes.' In: Risso, A. (ed.) 'Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe méridionale et principalement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes.' Levrault, Paris: 147–186.
https://britishspiders.org.uk/system/files/library/050303.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Risso
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/245019-Cheliferidae
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-7653.html
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/cheliferidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/genera/10
Photographic contributions: