Family: Pseudotyrannochthoniidae
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According to the 'World Catalogue of Pseudoscorpions' the Family: Pseudotyrannochthoniidae* contains 81 species in 6 genera. This family was given its impressive moniker by the Austrian arachnologist and entomologost Dr. Max W.P. Beier in 1932. Dr. Beier published some 252 papers on pseudoscorpions and named more than 1200 species the names of nearly all were still considered valid as of 2007. No mean feat considering that is nearly 30 % of all currently known species.
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No doubt Dr. Beier was the expert on the subject, but the fact that such a high percentage of his species names - which, of course, were all based on morphological descriptors such as pedipalps and claws - have survived for well over 90 years again highlights the lack of interest by the scientific community at large, in pseudoscorpions. It is unlikely that there are other large orders of organisms where the contributions of so few have made such an enormous impact.
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Of the 81 species, as mentioned above, we should be lucky to have at least one species from the Genus: Pseudotyrannochthonius that may be encountered in the Northern Rivers but, if so, it is not likely to range too far into our region from the Queensland border. However, the fact that an unnamed species from the same genus has also been found in Melbourne, as well as near Margaret River in W.A., does suggest the pseudoscorpions in this family, or the genus mentioned above, may be more numerous than currently known.
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* = In Harvey (1992), the Tribe: Pseudotyrannochthonini was elevated to subfamily. In Benavides et al (2019), the subfamily was raised to family status.
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Pseudotyrannochthonius queenslandicus (likely occurrence)
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Pseudoscorpiones (Pseudoscorpions)
> Suborder: Epiocheirata
> Superfamily: Chthonioidea
> Family: Pseudotyrannochthoniidae
> Genus: Pseudotyrannochthonius
> Species: P. queenslandicus *
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Beier, M., (1932). 'Pseudoscorpionidea I. Subord. Chthoniinea et Neobisiinea.' Tierreich 57: i–xx, pp. 1–258
> Benavides, L.R., Cosgrove, J.G., Harvey, M.S., and Giribet, G., (2019). 'Phylogenomic interrogation resolves the backbone of the Pseudoscorpiones Tree of Life.' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 139, 106509. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.023
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata: Arachnida).' Invertebrate Taxonomy. 6. 1373–1435. DOI:10.1071/IT9921373.
> Harvey, M.S., (2007). 'The smaller arachnid orders: diversity, descriptions and distributions from Linnaeus to the present (1758 to 2007).' Zootaxa. 1668 (1): 363–380. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.1668.1.19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Beier
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/928871-Pseudotyrannochthoniidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/familydata/21
> Beier, M., (1932). 'Pseudoscorpionidea I. Subord. Chthoniinea et Neobisiinea.' Tierreich 57: i–xx, pp. 1–258
> Benavides, L.R., Cosgrove, J.G., Harvey, M.S., and Giribet, G., (2019). 'Phylogenomic interrogation resolves the backbone of the Pseudoscorpiones Tree of Life.' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 139, 106509. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.023
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata: Arachnida).' Invertebrate Taxonomy. 6. 1373–1435. DOI:10.1071/IT9921373.
> Harvey, M.S., (2007). 'The smaller arachnid orders: diversity, descriptions and distributions from Linnaeus to the present (1758 to 2007).' Zootaxa. 1668 (1): 363–380. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.1668.1.19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Beier
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/928871-Pseudotyrannochthoniidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/familydata/21
Photographic contributions: