A review of the pseudoscorpion genus Ideoblothrus (Pseudoscorpiones, Syarinidae) from western and northern Australia

Abstract

Five new pseudoscorpion species belonging to the genus Ideoblothrus are named and described from Western Australia and the Northern Territory: I. pisolitus from a single pisolitic mesa near Pannawonica, I. nesotymbus from limestone karst on Barrow Island, I. westi from limestone karst near the Fortescue River, I. descartes from a vine thicket on Descartes Island in the Kimberley, and I. milikapiti from rainforest on Melville Island. New specimens of I. papillon Harvey from Papillon Cave and I. woodi Harvey from Cave C‐167, Western Australia are recorded. A further species is recognised but not named as adult specimens are not available: Ideoblothrus sp. ‘Mesa A’ occurs within a different pisolitic mesa than I. pisolitus.

Keywords:

• Pseudoscorpiones
• Neobisioidea
• Ideoblothrus
• morphology
• new species
• short‐range endemics
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by Robe River Iron Associates and Chevron (Gorgon), and was kindly facilitated by Garth Humphreys of Biota Environmental Sciences. We wish to thank Michael Greenham, Dan Kamien, Lee Mould, Darren Brooks, Paul West, Roy Teale, and Debbie Hyder, collectors of the majority of the specimens studied, and Julianne Waldock for her laboratory assistance. Ric How (Western Australian Museum) kindly facilitated the trip to the Kimberley islands during which I. descartes was found.