Nine new species of pseudoscorpions have been described by Western Australian Museum scientists.

Previously there were 26 species of the Garypus pseudoscorpion known to science, and, of those, only a few came from the Indo-West Pacific region.

Head of Terrestrial Zoology at the WA Museum Dr Mark Harvey and his colleagues Dr Joel Huey, Jose Carvajal, and Mia Hillyer recently published a paper naming the new species. The discoveries are a result of the WA Museum’s review of national and international museum specimens.

“All nine species are found in the Indo-West Pacific region, including the Pilbara, Kimberley, Cocos-Keeling Islands, and Indonesia,” Dr Harvey said.

“We examined the specimens microscopically and assessed their relationships using DNA data.”

The new species are Garypus latens, Garypus malgaryungu, Garypus necopinus, Garypus postlei, Garypus ranalliorum, and Garypus weipa from northern Australia, Garypus dissitus from Cocos-Keeling Island, and Garypus reong and Garypus yeni from Indonesia.

Primarily found in tropical and subtropical areas, this genus of pseudoscorpion is usually restricted to seashore habitats in splash and nearshore zones.

“Although members of the genus include some of the largest pseudoscorpions in the world – with the female body length of the largest at 10-12mm – they are still relatively small creatures, and robust enough to survive in the harsh seashore environment.”

Despite their widespread occurrence and living near tidal zones, these small animals are intermittently distributed.

“Their choice of habitat is a result of millions of years of evolution,” Dr Harvey said.

“We don’t know why, but it seems that these little creatures have their favourite spot on the beach and remain there, even though the tide could easily redistribute them.”

Pseudoscorpions are their own group of arachnids. They resemble scorpions but lack the long tail and sting.

Like other pseudoscorpions, Garypus spin silk from their mouthparts. They construct igloo-like chambers to protect themselves from the tide and predators.

“They forage for food such as springtails and mites. As the tide approaches, they return to their igloo and seal the wall with fresh silk,” Dr Harvey said.

“If that isn’t tiring enough, these little creatures do that twice a day!”

The identification of the nine new species marks a significant breakthrough, raising the total of this genus to 16 in the Indo-West Pacific region.

“Our study concludes that multiple species do occur in the region, which speaks to the health of their seashore environments,” Dr Harvey said.

“It also highlights the vital role museum collections around the world play in helping us describe and conserve our native species.”

The publication can be viewed at https://bioone.org/journals/Invertebrate-Systematics/volume-34/issue-1/IS19029/Supralittoral-pseudoscorpions-of-the-genus-Garypus-Pseudoscorpiones-Garypidae-from-the/10.1071/IS19029.short

 

Media contact:
Flora Perrella
Western Australian Museum
flora.perrella@museum.wa.gov.au