Neobisiidae

Neobisiidae
Temporal range: Cretaceous–present
Stenohya pengae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Pseudoscorpiones
Superfamily: Neobisioidea
Family: Neobisiidae
Chamberlin, 1930

Neobisiidae is a family of pseudoscorpions distributed throughout Africa, the Americas and Eurasia and consist of 748 species in 34 genera. Some species live in caves while some are surface-dwelling.

Characteristics

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The body color ranges from reddish or dark brown through olive green to yellow or creamy white. The legs are greenish. They usually have four eyes, but cave-dwelling species often have two or no eyes at all. The body length ranges from 1 to 5 mm.

Specimens of Neobisiidae have two very long pedipalps with palpal chelae (pincers) which strongly resemble the pincers found on true scorpions. The pedipalps consists of an immobile "hand" and "finger", with a separate movable finger controlled by an adductor muscle. Contrary to most other pseudoscorpions a venom gland and duct are located in the immobile "finger" part of each pedipalp, rather than in the movable one. The venom is used to capture and immobilize the prey.

Genera

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As of November 2023, the World Pseudoscorpiones Catalog accepts the following thirty-four genera:[1]

References

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  1. ^ "Neobisiidae Chamberlin, 1930". World Pseudoscorpiones Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.