2005. The Journal of Arachnology 33:873±877 SHORT COMMUNICATION MATRIPHAGY IN THE NEOTROPICAL PSEUDOSCORPION PARATEMNOIDES NIDIFICATOR (BALZAN 1888) (ATEMNIDAE) Everton Tizo-Pedroso and Kleber Del-Claro: LaboratoÂrio de Ecologia Comportamental e de InteracËoÄes, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de UberlaÃndia. C.P.593, Cep 38400-902, UberlaÃndia, MG, Brasil. Telfax: 55(34)32182243. E-mail:
[email protected]. ABSTRACT. We studied the natural history and social behavior of Paratemnoides nidi®cator (Balzan 1888) in a tropical savanna system. Females were responsible for all nymphal care. We observed, for the ®rst time in pseudoscorpions, the occurrence of matriphagy behavior by the offspring. During conditions of food deprivation, the mother went out of the nest and passively awaited the protonymphs' attack, not reacting to the capture nor to the nymphs feeding on her body. We suggest that this extreme form of parental care, matriphagy, can reduce cannibalism among protonymphs and facilitate the evolution of social behavior in pseudoscorpions. RESUMO. NoÂs estudamos a histoÂria natural e o comportamento social de Paratemnoides nidi®cator (Balzan 1888) na regiaÄo dos cerrados. As feÃmeas foram responsaÂveis por todo o cuidado aÁs ninfas. NoÂs observamos, pela primeira vez em pseudoescorpioÄes, a ocorreÃncia de matrifagia pela prole. Em condicËoÄes de fome, a maÄe deixa o ninho e passivamente espera que as protoninfas a ataquem, naÄo reagindo nem aÁ captura, nem aÁ alimentacËaÄo das ninfas sobre seu corpo. NoÂs sugerimos que esta forma extrema de cuidado parental, matrifagia, possa reduzir o canibalismo entre as protoninfas e assim facilitar a evolucËaÄo de comportamento social em pseudoescorpioÄes. Keywords: Social behavior, maternal care, Arachnida, cannibalism, tropical savanna The order Pseudoscorpiones is highly diversi®ed may occur in the same rock ®ssure (Gabbutt 1962, with more than 3,239 described species in 425 gen- 1966).