A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

A review of Idiommata Ausserer, 1871 (Mygalomorphae: Barychelidae), with the description of a related new genus and new species of giant Australian brush-footed spiders

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A review of Idiommata Ausserer, 1871 (Mygalomorphae: Barychelidae), with the description of a related new genus and new species of giant Australian brush-footed spiders

Abstract

The barychelid genus Idiommata Ausserer, 1871 is reviewed: the type species Idiommata blackwalli O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 is diagnosed and variability of characters in males discussed. Idiommata is rediagnosed to include only I. blackwalli and I. scintillans (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918), which lack intercheliceral peg setae. The female paralectotype of Idiommata scintillans is placed in Synothele Simon, 1908 and described as a new species, Synothele xintillans sp. nov., from South Australia. A new genus, Zidiommata gen. nov., is described for I. fusca L. Koch, 1874 (for which males are described), I. iridescens (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918) and two new species, Z. simonmaraisi sp. nov. and Z. steveirwini sp. nov., all of which have intercheliceral pegs and are found in eastern Australia.

Raven, R.J. (2026) A review of Idiommata Ausserer, 1871 (Mygalomorphae: Barychelidae), with the description of a related new genus and new species of giant Australian brush-footed spiders. Zootaxa, 5821 (2), 151–175. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.2.1