#1432 - Protochelifer sp. Pseudoscorpion
Was out at Sullivan Rock again, with the local branch of the WA Naturalist’s Club, but we didn’t see much in the way of insects, birds, or even fungi, because/despite of the appalling weather we’ve had all week. I DID give some of the Balgas AKA Grasstree (Xanthorrhoea preissii) a good shake though, because I’ve found interesting stuff in the skirt of dead leaves hanging down from the crown before. And I’m delighted to say I found these.
I’d thought it might be Balgachernes occultus, because that species is ONLY found on Balgas, so I emailed Mark Harvey at the WA Museum because he described it in the original paper. He got back to me today with an ID
"This is a species of Protochelifer of the family Cheliferidae. Very nice."
There's only seven known species of Protochelifer in Australia, but it’s entirely likely this one is undescribed. Pseudoscorpions are widely spread but poorly known, and use their pincer-like pedipalps to subdue prey (some species have venom glands), dance with their mates, and cling to the legs and antennae of flying insects when they need a lift to somewhere new. They can also spin silk to protect their eggs, or cocoon themselves during sea transport on logs, or other hostile environments. Some species are also known as Book Scorpions, since they used to do well in libraries, hunting booklice and mites around the shelves.
Pseudoscorpions have been around since at least the Devonian, and were probably one of the first groups of animals to move onto land. They haven’t changed much since then, either. Nor has human interest in these cute little beasts - they were first described by Aristotle, Robert Hooke referred to one as "Land-Crab" in his 1665 work Micrographia, and optician George Adams wrote of "a lobster-insect, spied by some labouring men who were drinking their porter, and borne away by an ingenious gentleman, who brought it to my lodging." in the 1780s.
Sullivan Rock, SE of Perth