Cheiridiidae Hansen, 1894

Family

The Cheiridiinae were recognized by Hansen (1894) for the genus Cheiridium which he treated as a member of the Cheliferidae. This group was raised to family level by Chamberlin (1931) who included two subfamilies, Cheiridiinae and Pseudochiridiinae (which he spelt as Pseudocheiridiinae). The Pseudochiridiinae was segregated as a separate family by Hoff (1964). Beier (1964) created the subfamily Pycnocheiridiinae for the South African Pycnocheiridium mirum.

The Cheiridiidae contains two subfamilies, Cheiridiinae with five genera and Pycnocheiridiinae with two genera.

Many cheiridiid genera are widely distributed, with Cheiridium, Apocheiridium, Crytocheiridium and Neocheiridium known from multiple continents. Leptocheiridium, Nesocheiridium and Pycnocheiridium are restricted to tropical South America, the western Pacific region and South Africa, respectively.

References: 

Benedict, E.M. (1978b). False scorpions of the genus Apocheiridium Chamberlin from western North America (Pseudoscorpionida, Cheiridiidae). Journal of Arachnology 5: 231-241.

Dumitresco, M. and Orghidan, T. (1981). Représentants de la fam. Cheiridiidae Chamberlin (Pseudoscorpionidea) de Cuba. In Résultats des Expéditions Biospéologiques Cubano-Roumaines à Cuba, vol. 3: 77-87. Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România: Bucaresti.

Mahnert, V. (1982b). Die Pseudoskorpione (Arachnida) Kenyas II. Feaellidae; Cheiridiidae. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 89: 115-134.

Vitali-di Castri, V. (1962). La familia Cheiridiidae (Pseudoscorpionida) en Chile. Investigaciones Zoológicas Chilenas 8: 119-142.

Order: 

Pseudoscorpiones

Suborder: 

Iocheirata

Superfamily: 

Cheiridioidea

Cheiridiidae Hansen: Kishida, 1929: 124; Chamberlin, 1931a: 236; Beier, 1932e: 3; Chamberlin, 1935b: 480; Roewer, 1937: 274-275; Chamberlin, 1938a: 264; Petrunkevitch, 1955: 82; Hoff, 1956c: 3; Morikawa, 1960: 133-134; Dubinin, 1962: 442; Meinertz, 1962: 60; Vitali-di Castri, 1962: 120; Beier, 1963b: 243; Vitali-di Castri, 1965: 69; Murthy and Ananthakrishnan, 1977: 115; Harvey, 1985b: 130; Muchmore, 1982a: 99-100; Legg and Jones, 1988: 90; Harvey, 1991a: 433; Harvey, 1992c: 1416-1417.

Pseudoscorpions in this family