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The third Australian species of the pseudoscorpion genus Anatemnus is described from tropical Australia: Anatemnus wongalara sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pseudoscorpion genus Geogarypus is widely distributed around the world, but with only six species recorded from Australia. Two new species are described from northern Australia: G. facetus from Northern Territory and G. plusculus from Western Australia, and COI barcodes are provided for both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pseudoscorpion genus Synsphyronus is endemic to the Australasian region with 30 species from Australia, two from New Zealand, and one from New Caledonia. Seven new species are described from Australia mostly based on specimens collected on various BushBlitz expeditions: S. codyi sp. nov., S. patricki sp. nov., S. pharangites sp. nov., S. samueli sp. nov. and S. xynus sp. nov. from Western Australia, and S. marinae sp. nov. and S. sertus sp. nov. from the Northern Territory. Like other species of Synsphyronus, all species have reduced trichobothrial numbers on at least one chelal finger, with S. codyi, S. patricki, S. samueli and S. sertus having eight trichobothria on the fixed finger and three on the movable finger (denoted as 8/3), S. marinae has 8/2, S. xynus has 8/1 and S. pharangites has 7/1. Five of the new species (S. codyi, S. marinae, S. pharangites, S. sertus and S. xynus) have fused metatarsi and tarsi, which brings the total number of species with this neotenic feature to 12 of the 40 named species. Certain meristic data for S. gurdoni Harvey, Abrams and Burger, 2015 are corrected. Six of the new species have only been found at a single location, despite concentrated searching for additional specimens in adjacent habitats, and may have very small distributions indicative of short-range endemism. The seventh species, S. xynus, is widely distributed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. COI barcode data are provided for S. marinae, S. sertus and S. xynus [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The south-western division of Australia is the only biodiversity hotspot in Australia and is well-known for extreme levels of local endemism. Climate change has been identified as a key threat for flora and fauna, but very few data are presently available to evaluate its impact on invertebrate fauna. Here, we derive a molecular phylogeography for pseudoscorpions of the genus Pseudotyrannochthonius that in the south-west are restricted to regions with the highest rainfall. A dated molecular phylogeny derived from six gene fragments is used for biogeographic reconstruction analyses, spatial mapping, environmental niche-modelling, and to infer putative species. Phylogenetic analyses uncover nine clades with mostly allopatric distributions and often small linear ranges between 0.5 and 130 km. Molecular dating suggests that the origins of contemporary diversity fall into a period of warm/humid Palaeogene climates, but splits in the phylogeny coincide with major environmental shifts, such as significant global cooling during the Middle Miocene. By testing several models of historical biogeography available for the south-west, we determine that Pseudotyrannochthonius is an ancient relict lineage that principally follows a model of allopatric speciation in mesic zone refugia, although there are derivations from this model in that some species are older and distribution patterns more complex than expected. Ecological niche models indicate that drier and warmer future climates will lead to range contraction towards refugia of highest rainfall, probably mimicking past variations that have generated high diversity in these areas. Their conservation management will be crucial for preserving the unique biodiversity heritage of the south-west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate molecular phylogenetic divergence and historical biogeography of the cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion genus Protochelifer. Location Caves and nearby epigean habitats in southern Australia were sampled from western Victoria, Naracoorte Caves, Flinders Ranges, Kangaroo Island, Nullarbor Plain and south-west Western Australia. Methods Allozyme electrophoresis (57 individuals) and a 569-base-pair section of the mtDNA COI gene (22 individuals) were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among four cave species and three epigean species from 13 locations. Results Phylogenetic reconstruction using the allozyme and mtDNA sequence data revealed a similar topology, showing recent speciation of several Protochelifer populations in caves from Naracoorte to the Nullarbor Plain. Naracoorte Caves contained a single species, Protochelifer naracoortensis, found in four separate caves, while all other cave species appear to be restricted to single caves. Main conclusions At a local scale, as indicated by the four Naracoorte caves, dispersal is thought to occur via micro- and mesocaverns, and possibly by phoresy using insect or bat vectors. With current data we are unable to determine if cavernicolous species of Protochelifer have arisen from a single cave colonization event followed by phoretic dispersal on bats to other caves, or multiple cave-invasion events from independent epigean ancestors. Genetic heterogeneity among Protochelifer populations from Nullarbor caves suggest that P. cavernarum, the only species presently recorded from this region, is likely to constitute a species complex requiring further study to fully resolve its relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the Australian species of the eupelmid genus Calymmochilus Masi. Description of a Western Australian species associated with a pseudoscorpion; Review of the occurrence of pseudoscorpion parasites; Information on morphological variation within and between species.