Phylogeny of the Neotropical hypoctonin whipping scorpions (Thelyphonidae, Thelyphonidae) and description of two new genera and species.
quick summary
Therifonida, also known as Vinecrones or Whip Scorpions, are small arachnids of which 140 species have been described. Despite the prominence of this order and its widespread distribution in the tropics and subtropics on four continents, advances in knowledge about this order have been slow. The genus Thelyphonellus, a member of the subfamily Hypoctoninae, consisted of four species described prior to this contribution. This study presents the first detailed morphological study and phylogenetic analysis of Thelyphonellus. In addition to the two new species described herein, Labyrops (from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola) and the West African genus Etienne, all but one previously described species of Therifonella were included in this analysis. Included. The single optimal phylogenetic hypothesis found that Labyrops is nested within Therifonella. Analysis of Hypoctoninae recovered four lineages, each with a segregating distribution characterized by a combination of traits. Based on these results, four genera (of which two are new) are recognized: Ravilops, Thelyphonellus, Wounaan (new genus), and Yekuana (new genus). Two new species classified as Wounaan and Yekuana are described and illustrated. A key to identifying the Neotropical genus of Hypoctoninae and a map plotting the known distribution of the species are also presented.
