David and Goliath: on the pseudoscorpions of Ascension Island, including the world’s
largest, Garypus titanius Beier, 1961, and a new, minute, Neocheiridium Beier, 1932
(Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)
Sherwood, Danniella; Grignet, Virginie; Harvey, Mark S.; Sharp, Adam; Wilkins, Vicky; Ashmole, Myrtle; Ashmole, Philip
An examination of Pseudoscorpiones de Geer, 1778 material, new and old, from Ascension
Island – one of the world’s most remote islands – revealed six endemic species. Four
are previously known from the island: Apocheiridium cavicola Mahnert, 1993, Garypus
titanius Beier, 1961, Stenowithius duffeyi Beier, 1961, and Withius ascensionis (Beier,
1961), we provide new faunistic records of all these species. Garypus titanius is
the world’s largest pseudoscorpion. Two new species are described, one of the world’s
largest and one of the smallest, respectively: Garypus ellickae Sherwood, Grignet,
Harvey, Sharp, Wilkins, M. Ashmole & P. Ashmole sp. nov. and Neocheiridium ashmoleorum
Sherwood, Grignet, Harvey, Sharp & Wilkins sp. nov.