1997. The Journal of Arachnology 25 :410–41 1 RESEARCH NOTE SYNONYMY OF THE PSEUDOSCORPION CHERNES INSUETUS WITH AMERICHERNES OBLONGUS (CHELONETHI, CHERNETIDAE) : AN UNESTABLISHED INTRODUCTION TO BRITAI N Chernes insuetus was described by O .E- no trace of this species in the collections of Cambridge (1892) from two specimens found the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle , in an oil mill in Dover, Kent (England) . The Paris. mill was later demolished (Kew 1911) and Although the spermathecae could not be ex- this species has not been recorded since. Kew, amined, the external morphology of the type s who examined one of the types, noted that thi s of C. insuetus was found to agree with Much- species belonged to "a group with polished more's (1976) redescription of Americhernes integuments, almost simple bristles, non-gran- oblongus (Say 1821). Chernes insuetus Cam- ulate tergites, and with a tactile hair near ex- bridge is therefore considered to be a junio r tremity of tibia IV." Although this would hav e subjective synonym of A. oblongus . placed C. insuetus in the Lamprochernetinae Americhernes oblongus (Say 1821) (as then defined), Beier (1932) listed it as a doubtful species of Allochernes Beier 1932, in Chelifer oblongus Say 1821 :64. Neotype d from Havana, Illinois, USA; designated by Hoff (1949) which he was followed by Roewer (1937) . (Illinois Natural History Survey, not examined) . The name insuetus did not appear again in Americhernes oblongus (Say): Muchmore 1976 : the literature until Legg & Jones (1988) syn- 153-156, figs. 3–9; Harvey 1991 :542 (complet e onymized it with Lamprochernes chyzeri (To- synonymy up to 1989) . mosvary 1882) . Although no justification was Chelifer communis var. pennsylvanicus Ellingsen given for this synonymy, it was accepted as 1910:366 (synonymized by Muchmore 1991 :80). the status quo by Harvey (1991) . However, Chelifer n. sp. Cambridge 1884 :103. the identification of insuetus with chyzeri i s Chernes insuetus Cambridge 1892:225–226, pl . C hard to accept in view of the fact that Kew – fig. 17; Kew 1916:130-131. Syntypes 2Y , from a competent specialist – had examined Britis debris and refuse in oil mill, Dover, Kent, En- h gland, leg. W.P. Haydon, 1880 (HECO, examined; material of both species and found them to b e now lost). NEW SYNONYMY. quite distinct. Chelifer (Chernes) insuetus (Cambridge): Kew In 1980 I was able to study the two female 1911:41 (footnote 1) . syntypes of Chernes insuetus, deposited in the Allochernes(?) insuetus (Cambridge): Beier 1932: Hope Entomological Collections of Oxford 154; Roewer 1940:298 . University Museum (HECO). The specimens Lamprochernes chyzeri (not Tomosvary) : Legg & were lent to a third party at the Natural His- Jones 1988 :102 (in part) ; Harvey 1991 :588 (in tory Museum, London, under whose supervi- part). sion they were studied. Afterwards, the type s As the derivation of its junior synonym im- were left on a desk, to be mailed the next day . plies (Latin insuetus, unaccustomed), Cam- Unfortunately, they disappeared before thi s bridge (1884) regarded this species as alien to could be done and must be presumed lost . The the British fauna, perhaps having been im- material of C. insuetus which Cambridge sent ported with oilseeds used in the mill . Ameri- to E. Simon (who first identified it as new to chernes oblongus is widely distributed in the science) was evidently returned, there being United States (Muchmore 1976; Harvey 410 JUDSON—SYNONYMY OF THE PSEUDOSCORPION 41 1 1991), and it is likely that the Kentish popu- ernes Beier from Australia (Pseudoscorpionida : lation originated from the eastern seaboard o f Chernetidae) . Mem. Mus. Victoria, 50 :325-336. North America. It is worth noting that the y Harvey, M .S. 1991. Catalogue of the Pseudoscor- pionida. Manchester Univ . Press, Manchester. were found in company with the first know n Hoff, C .C . 1949. The pseudoscorpions of Illinois . British specimens of Withius piger (Simo n Bull . Illinois Nat. Hist . Surv ., 24:407-498 . 1878) (syn . Chelifer subruber Simon 1879) , Kew, H .W. 1911 . A synopsis of the false-scorpion s another introduced species (Cambridge 1884 , of Britain and Ireland . Proc . R . Irish Acad ., (B ) 1892) . 29:38-64, pls. 4-6. Americhernes Muchmore 1976 is currently Kew, H.W. 1916. An historical account of the known from the Americas, Australia and th e pseudoscorpion-fauna of the British Islands . J . Pacific (Muchmore 1976 ; Harvey 1990), bu t Quekett Micros . Club, (2) 13 :117-136 . there have been no subsequent records of thi s Legg, G . Jones, R.E. 1988. Pseudoscorpions (Arthropoda, Arachnida) : Keys and notes for the genus from Europe . Although several Euro- identification of the species . Synopses British pean pseudoscorpions have been found i n Fauna, (new ser.) 40 :1-159 . E .J . Bill Dr. W. North America (Muchmore 1972), this ap- Backhuys, Leiden . pears to be the first record of an introductio n Muchmore, W.B. 1972. European pseudoscorpion s in the opposite direction . In this case, how - from New England . J. New York Entomol . Soc ., ever, it is clear that A. oblongus did not be- 80 :109-110 . come established in Britain . Muchmore, W.B. 1976. Pseudoscorpions from Florida and the Caribbean area. 5 . Americhemes , ACKNOWLEDGMENTS a new genus based upon Chelifer oblongus Say (Chernetidae) . Florida Entomol ., 59 :151-163 . I am grateful to A . Smith for arranging the Muchmore, W.B. 1991. The identity of Chelife r loan of the syntypes of Chernes insuetus and communis var. pennsylvanicus and description o f to I. Lansbury for his help during a recent visi t a new species of Lustrochemes (Pseudoscorpion- ida : Chernetidae) . Entomol . News, 102 to Oxford University Museum . Mark Harvey :79-89 . Roewer, C .E 1937 . Chelonethi oder Pseudoskor- and Bill Muchmore are thanked for very help- pione . In Klassen and Ordnungen des Tierreichs ful reviews of the manuscript. (H.G. Bronn, ed .) (5 : Arthropoda; Section 4 : Ar- achnoidea), 6(1, issue 2) :161-320 . Akademische LITERATURE CITED Verlagsgesellschaft M .B.H., Leipzig . Beier, M. 1932. Pseudoscorpionidea II . Subord . C . Say, T. 1821. An account of the Arachnides of the Cheliferinea. Tierreich, 58:1-294 . United States . J . Acad. Nat. Sci . Philadelphia, 2 : Cambridge, O .P. 1884. Pseudoscorpions new to 59-82 . Britain . Naturalist, London, 10:103 . Mark L .I. Judson : Museum national Cambridge, O .P. 1892. On the British species of dHistoire naturelle, Laboratoire de Zoolo- false-scorpions . Proc . Dorset Nat. Hist. and An- gie (Arthropodes), 61, rue de Buffon, 75005 tiq. Fld. Club Archaeol . Soc ., 13 :199-231, pls . Paris, France. A-C. Harvey, M .S. 1990. New pseudoscorpions of the Manuscript received 2 January 1997, accepted 1 5 genera Americhemes Muchmore and Cordyloch- April 1997..