A trait-based taxonomic data base for the order Schizomida (Arachnida) with descriptions of a new fossil species from Kachin amber and the female of Surazomus palenque Villarreal, Miranda & Giupponi 2016.

Abstract

Despite a global distribution throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, the order Schizomida (Arachnida) is heavily understudied and the phylogeny of the group is poorly understood. Identification keys are only available for some regions or genera but not for the entire order. (1) comprehensively reviewed the entire schizomid fauna and established a suite of characters to define all genera known at this time. This suite of characters still depicts the foundation of modern descriptions, supplemented by recently established characters, most of them documenting setation patterns on pedipalps, flagellum and chelicerae. In this paper, we present the Schizomida Trait Data Base (STDB) containing data for 25 characters based on the entire body of schizomid literature. Characters were chosen based on their use for modern taxonomic description and availability of the data. The STDB is a powerful tool that can be used by both amateurs and experienced researchers to categorise newly found specimens, both extant and fossil, down to genus level easily. Analysis using the new database gives insight into biogeographical patterns of characters. Furthermore, we are describing a new species,{dagger} Annazomus jamesi, a fossil specimen from Burmese (Kachin) amber and investigate a small collection of extant schizomids from Ecuador, which includes the previously unrecorded female of Surazomus palenque, herein described for the first time. The taxonomic assignment of both specimens is based on the STDB, highlighting the utility of the new data base approach to schizomid systematics. Arachnids, biogeography, Cretaceous, data base, fossil, new species, palaeontology, Schizomida, statistics, taxonomy