Olpiid Pseudoscorpions - Family: Olpiidae
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The largest family of Mestommatid pseudoscorpions with (currently) 211 species in 24 genera, as per the World Pseudoscorpiones Catalogue in March 2024. The disclaimer is definitely warranted here as the family has undergone many changes since its description as a subfamily of the Obisiidae (now defunct) by the American entomologist Nathan Banks in 1895. In 1930 it was raised to family status by Chamberlin and over the years the family grew to contain well over 300 species in three subfamilies before Judson removed the Garypininae in 2005 and Benavides et al removed the Hesperolpiniinae thereby leaving the subfamily Olpiinae by itself as well as a number of unplaced genera.
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The Olpiidae are diagnosed using a number of features, among which: they have venom aparatus in both chelal fingers of the claws, the membrane through which gaseous exchange takes place is pleated, they have silky bristles coveringe the femur and tibia of the pedipalps and, the arolium is clearly much longer than the claws. Olpiidae are very similar to the Menthidae, a family first described by J.C. Chamberlin in 1930. However, to date there are only 2 records of Menthids from near Mackay in northern Queensland. These records are currently more than 40 years old and it is likely safe to presume that there will be no confusion between the two families locally.
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To date there are no records of Olpiids identified to species level from the Northern Rivers region. The one species listed below is included here on the basis of its general distribution along the Easter regions of Australia from Queensland down to Tasmania as sourced from the 'Atlas of Living Australia' web-site. It is considered here a 'possible residential species'.
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Subfamily: Olpiinae
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Xenolpium longiventer (possible occurrence)
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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: Olpiidae (Olpiid Pseudoscorpions)
> Subfamily: Olpiinae
> Genus: Xenolpium
> Species: X. longiventer ^
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Banks, N., (1895). 'Notes on the Pseudoscorpionida.' J. New York Ent .Soc., 3: 1-13.
> 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): 1–14.
> Heurtault, J., (1979). 'Complément à la description de Olpium pallipes Lucas, 1845, type de la famille Olpiidae (Arachnides, Pseudoscorpions).' Revue Suisse de Zoologie 86: 925-931.
> Judson, M.L.I., (2005). 'Baltic amber fossil of Garypinus electri Beier provides first evidence of phoresy in the pseudoscorpion family Garypinidae (Arachnida: Chelonethi).' In: Logunov, D.V. and Penney, D. (eds). 'European Arachnology 2003.' (Proceedings of the 21st European Colloquium of Arachnology, St.-Petersburg, 4-9 August 2003): 127-131. KMK Scientific Press Ltd., Moscow.
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/f3aae891-59aa-4123-b697-da1d3e10934c#overview
https://biostor.org/reference/13821
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Banks
> Banks, N., (1895). 'Notes on the Pseudoscorpionida.' J. New York Ent .Soc., 3: 1-13.
> 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): 1–14.
> Heurtault, J., (1979). 'Complément à la description de Olpium pallipes Lucas, 1845, type de la famille Olpiidae (Arachnides, Pseudoscorpions).' Revue Suisse de Zoologie 86: 925-931.
> Judson, M.L.I., (2005). 'Baltic amber fossil of Garypinus electri Beier provides first evidence of phoresy in the pseudoscorpion family Garypinidae (Arachnida: Chelonethi).' In: Logunov, D.V. and Penney, D. (eds). 'European Arachnology 2003.' (Proceedings of the 21st European Colloquium of Arachnology, St.-Petersburg, 4-9 August 2003): 127-131. KMK Scientific Press Ltd., Moscow.
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/f3aae891-59aa-4123-b697-da1d3e10934c#overview
https://biostor.org/reference/13821
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Banks
Photographic contributions: