Garypid Pseudoscorpions - Family: Garypidae
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Named in 1879 by Eugene Simon, the Family: Garypidae was overhauled and added to by Chamberlin in 1930. The Austrian arachnologist, Max Beier and his French colleague Max Vachon (1908-1991) expanded the family dramatically between 1937 1nd 1964. In 1986 M.S. Harvey reviewed the family and removed a number of genera which improved the monophylly of the group as a whole. As of March 2024, the Garypidae consists of two subamilies, eleven genera and 110 species according to the World Catalogue of Pseudoscorpions.
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Sightings of species belonging to the Garypidae are quite common in Australia but, oddly enough, there were none recorded from N.S.W. until May 2022 when a new observer on iNaturalist posted a photo of a pseudoscorpion found near Tenterfield that was identified as belonging to the Genus: Synsphyronus. To date this is still the only recorded - albeit not confirmed - occurrence of a Garypid pseudoscorpion in the state.
It is on the basis of that record that the family is included here. |
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Recognising Garypids in the wild is as troublesome as it is for other pseudoscorpions. Generally speaking, knowledge of morphological details is required as is the ability to observe those details. Many pseudoscorpions are defined by the details on their claws; the Garypids are said to be defined by 'the absence of a helix within the spiracles'. A helix is a corkscrew-like structure and the spiracles are the openings in the exoskeleton through which the organism breathes.
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Synsphyronus sp.
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Pseudoscorpiones (Pseudoscorpions)
> Suborder: Iocheirata
> Infraorder: Panctenata
> Zoosection: Mestommatina
> Superfamily: Garypoidea
> Family: Garypidae (Garypid Pseudoscorpions)
> Genus: Synsphyronus
> Species: ?
References and links:
> Harvey, M.S., (1987). ‘A revision of the genus Synsphyronus Chamberlin (Garypidae: Pseudoscorpionida: Arachnida).’ Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 126: 1-99.
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata: Arachnida).' Invertebrate Systematics, 6 (6), 1373 – 1435.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/116903741
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/garypidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/familydata/38
https://www.academia.edu/13700769/Max_Vachon_1908_1991
> Harvey, M.S., (1987). ‘A revision of the genus Synsphyronus Chamberlin (Garypidae: Pseudoscorpionida: Arachnida).’ Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 126: 1-99.
> Harvey, M.S., (1992). 'The phylogeny and classification of the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata: Arachnida).' Invertebrate Systematics, 6 (6), 1373 – 1435.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/116903741
https://museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions/family/garypidae
https://wac.nmbe.ch/order/pseudoscorpiones/familydata/38
https://www.academia.edu/13700769/Max_Vachon_1908_1991
Photographic contributions: