Family CHEIRIDIIDAE Hansen, 1893

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Introduction

Cheiridiids are very small pseudoscorpions that have been recorded from most areas of the world, usually in litter, although some are corticolous or nidicolous, and one, Cheiridium museorum (Leach), is often synanthropic. Six Recent genera and 69 species are currently recognised (Harvey 1991). These have been placed in two subfamilies, Cheiridiinae and Pycnocheiridiinae; only the former is recorded from Australia. The latter contains only Pycocheiridium mirum Beier from South Africa.

The described Australian fauna is small, but numerous new species are known, including representatives of presently unrecorded genera, such as Cheiridium and Apocheiridium (Harvey, unpublished data).

Diagnosis

Cheiridiids can be distinguished from all other garypoids, except Pseudochiridiidae, by the presence of only a single pair of eyes. They differ from pseudochiridiids by the fused femora and patellae of legs I-IV, and lack of posteriorly expanded coxae or chevron-shaped tergites.

General References

Harvey, M.S. 1991. Catalogue of the Pseudoscorpionida. Manchester : Manchester University Press.

History of changes