A living adult male of Feaella linetteae from George River, Millstream-Chichester National Park.

Feaella linetteae

Pseudoscorpions are small arachnids that resemble scorpions with their grasping pincers (pedipalps). However, they lack the distinctive stinging tail of scorpions, and instead have a pear-shaped body. The full species diversity of pseudoscorpions is unknown, and the Western Australian Museum is a major contributor to describing species and resolving relationships in this poorly understood group.

Morphology

This small pseudoscorpion (ca. 2 mm in length) differs from other Pilbara species of the same genus in slight differences in the shape and size of the pedipalps and abdominal tergites.

Evolution

The Feaelloidea are a superfamily of Pseudoscorpiones which likely sister to all other pseudoscorpions or sister to Chthonioidea. The genus Feaella has been found in Africa, India, South America and Australia, and a Tertiary species was recently described from Baltic Amber deposits. In Australia, there are four described species of Feaella. Feaella andersenii is found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In the Pilbara region, there are five sites where Fealla have been found, which represents three new species; F. tealei, F, callani and F. linetteae.

Method of reproduction

Sexual

Habitat

Terrestrial

Under and among rocks and boulders on southern facing cliff and gorge faces.

Distribution

This species is a short range endemic (range less than 10,000km2) found in the Pilbara, in Millstream-Chichester National Park.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Pseudoscorpiones
Superfamily: Feaelloidea
Family: Feaellidae
Genus: Feaella
Species: linetteae
Name Published Year: 2016
Rank: species
Scientific Name Authorship: Harvey, Abrams, Beavis, Hillyer and Huey
Commercial Impact: 

None

Conservation Assessment: Least Concern

Phylogenetic Tree: 

phylogenetic tree

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

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Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/feaella-linetteae
Accessed 17 Aug 2024

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