University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Insecta Mundi Florida March 1998 Review of the family Bochicidae, with new species and records (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpionida) William B. Muchmore Rochester, New York Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi Part of the Entomology Commons Muchmore, William B., "Review of the family Bochicidae, with new species and records (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpionida)" (1998). Insecta Mundi. 363. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/363 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. INSECTA MUNDI, Vol. 12, Nos. 1 & 2, March-June, 1998 117 Review of the family Bochicidae, with new species and records (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpionida) William B. Muchmore Department of Biology, University of Rochester Box 27021 1, Rochester, New York 14627-0211 Abstract: A history of the family is presented. All of the genera and species previously assigned to the family are reviewed, and 4 new species are described: Leucohya parva from Venezuela and Guyana, Mexobisiunz venii from Belize and Guatemala, M. dorninicanu~nfrom the Dominican Republic, and Paravachoniuln sprousei from Mexico. Two sub- families are established: Bochicinae (including the genera Alatillobisium, Bochica, Troglobochica, Troglohya, and Vacholziu~n)and Leucohyinae (including Apohya, Leucohya, Mexobisiurn, and Paravachoniurn). Introduction genus Mirobisiu7n Beier in the Bochicinae along with Bochica. The history of the family Bochicidae is long 1937: C. F. Roewer followed Beier's classifica- and complex. In order to explain it clearly, it tion without adding anything of substance. seems best to present an annotated chronology of 1946: Chamberlin described a new genus and events leading from the recognition of the first species of pseudoscorpion from a cave in Nuevo known specimen to my current concept of the fam- Le6n, Mexico, Leucohya heteropoda (on the basis of ily. a single tritonymph), which he placed in a new 1905: C. J. With reported and carefully de- subfamily, Leucohyinae, of the family Hyidae scribed a pseudoscorpion from Grenada, West In- (raised again to family rank). dies, which he referred to Ideoro~zcusmexicanus 1947: Chamberlin described 2 new, related Banks (from Sonora, Mexico). species from caves in Yucathn, Mexico, for which 1923: J. C. Chamberlin revised Ideoroncus he created a new genus, Vachonium; for these he mexicanus on the basis of 3 specimens, including a erected a new family, Vachoniidae, closely related newly designated neotype, from Baja California, to, but distinct from, the Ideoroncidae and the Mexico. He recognized that With's specimen from Hyidae. Grenada is a different species, and he named it 1956: Beier described 2 new genera and spe- Ideoro~bcuswithi, relying on With's description for cies from caves in Mexico. He placed Para- its definition. vachoniurn bolivari in Gymnobisiidae, Vachonii- 1930: Chamberlin mounted and studied the nae along with the 2 species of Vacho7ziuln Cham- Grenada specimen (in BMNH). In his extensive berlin, and he placed Troglohya carranzai in Hyi- revision of the Diplosphyronida, he recognized the dae, Leucohyinae along with Leucohya heteropoda. occurrence of the "normal" number of 12 "tactile Beier presented several reasons for using the fam- setae" on the palpal chela of Ideororzcus withi as ily name Gymnobisiidae Beier rather than compared to the far greater number found in other Vachoniidae Chamberlin, even though the latter representatives of his new family Ideoroncidae, was published first. and he noted the subbasal position of ib on the 1963: V. Vitali di-Castri, relying strictly on dorsum of the chela1 hand. He designated the spe- priority of publication, elected to call the family cies as type species of a new genus, Bochica, which "Vachoniidae Chamberlin (= Gymnobisiidae he placed in a new subfamily Bochicinae. Beier)." She also pointed out that examination of 1931: Chamberlin reiterated the arrangement the type of Mirobisiu~ncavimanunz Beier shows, of the Bochicinae within the Ideoroncidae, and without a doubt, that it belongs in Vachoniidae, provided 6 illustrations of morphological features Gymnobisiinae, rather than in the family Ideoron- of Bochica withi. cidae. 1932: M. Beier accepted Chamberlin's inclu- 1964: Beier acknowledged that the genus Mi- sion of the Bochicinae in the Ideoroncidae; then, robisiu~n belongs in "Gymnobisiidae (Gymno- without discussion, he added the Hyidae Cham- bisiinae)" rather than in "Ideoroncidae (Boch- berlin (reduced to subfamily status) and placed the icinae) ." 118 Vol. 12, Nos. 1 & 2, March-June, 1998, INSECTA MUNDI 1969: In editorial addenda to a paper on a new actually belong in that family." species of Tyralt~tochtholtiusby W. B. Muchmore, 198213: Muchmore described 3 new species of Leucohya heteropoda Chamberlin and Vacholtiuln Vacholtium and 2 of Paravachoniurn from Mexico. lnaya Chamberlin were reported from Yucathn, 1984: V. Mahnert showed the limits of the Mexico (the former erroneously, the latter cor- family Ideoroncidae, and maintained it separate rectly). from the Bochicidae. 1970: Vitali di-Castri, in 2 papers on the Gym- 1984: Muchmore redescribed Ideorolzcus withi nobisiinae, continued to refer to the family as Chamberlin, the type species of the genus Bochica Vachoniidae. and the subfamily Bochicinae raised to family 1972: Muchmore reviewed the taxa and con- level. He promised that "a full discussion of the cluded that the Gymnobisiidae and the Vachonii- relations of this genus to others in the family will dae each deserves family status. At the same time, be presented elsewhere." In addition, he described he described a new species of Paravacholtiuln (in a new genus, Troglobochica, with 2 new species in Vachoniidae) and a new species of Leucohya (in Jamaica. Hyidae, Leucohyinae). In addition, he described a 1986: Muchmore described a new species of new genus and species Mexobisiuln paradoxurn in Mexobisiurn from Mexico and a new species of Leucohyinae. Leucohya from Texas. 1973: Muchmore, in 2 separate papers, de- 1991: M. S. Harvey listed all of the species as- scribed and discussed: adults of Leucohya hetero- signed to the Bochicidae and Vachoniidae through poda for the first time; a new genus and species, 1989. Apohya cainpbelli: a new species of Troglohya; 2 1992: Muchmore noted the occurrence of Leu- new species of Vacholtium; and 5 new species of cohya texalta in Texas. Mexobisiuin, one from Cuba. He declined to assign 1992: Harvey synonymized Vachoniidae with these taxa to families "because of growing uncer- Bochicidae, without detailed discussion. Further, tainties about their taxonomic placement." he included Bochicidae and Ideoroncidae in a clade 1977: Muchmore described a new species each separate from the other families in the Neobisioi- of Mexobisiuin and Vacholziuln. He assigned the dea, on the basis of the position of trichobothrium former to Hyidae, Leucohyinae, and the latter to ib on the dorsum of the chela1 hand. Vachoniidae. 1993: Harvey reviewed the family Hyidae and 1977: Dumitresco & Orghidan described a new demonstrated that it is clearly separate from the genus with 2 new species, Antillobisiuin vacholti Bochicidae. and A. rnitchelli, both from Cuba. They recognized similarities to the genera Leucohya, Troglohya, Methods Apohya, Mexobisiuin, and Vacholziuin, and con- cluded that Alttillobisium should be assigned to a Reference is made frequently to Harvey 1991 new subfamily (which they did not name) of the (Catalogue of the Pseudoscorpionida), which con- Vachoniidae. tains complete synonymies and references to all of 1980: Muchmore described 2 new, epigean spe- the studied taxa published prior to 1989. Correc- cies of Mexobisium from Cuba. tions to some of the recorded names and locations 1981: Muchmore briefly discussed the appar- of caves in Mexico have been made according to ently close relationships of the American genera Reddell (1981, 1982). placed in Hyidae and Vachoniidae. Some abbreviations are used in the text, as 1981 & 1982: J. R. Reddell, in 2 papers, listed follows: TL = type locality; L = length; B = breadth; the species of the families Hyidae and Vachoniidae D = depth; L/B = ratio, lengthhreadth; L/D = ratio, found in Mexico and Central America. lengthldepth; F/F+P (of leg IV) = ratio, length of 1982a: Muchmore, with little discussion, sepa- femur (measured to middle of suture line) 1 total rated the Bochicinae f~somthe Ideoroncidae and length of femur + patella. Hyidae and raised it to family status, as Bochici- Unless noted otherwise, all specimens referred dae; this included the genera Leucohya, Troglohya, to have been mounted on microscope slides. Apohya, Mexobisium, and Alttillobisium, in addi- Codens are used to indicate the depositories of tion to Bochica. The Vachoniidae were treated as a specimens: AMNH = American Museum of Natural separate family, but it was noted that "Members of History, New York, NY; BMNH = British Museum ths family are certainly related closely to the Bo- (Natural History), London, England; ENCB = Es- chicidae, and further study may show that they cuela Nacional de Ciencias Biolhgicas, M6xico D. INSECTA MUNDI. Vol. 12. Nos. 1 & 2. March-June. F., Mkxico; FSCA = Florida