''Conicochernes doyleae'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

pseudoscorpion Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida. Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans bec ...

in the

Chernetidae Chernetidae is a family of pseudoscorpions, first described by Anton Menge in 1855. Genera , the ''World Pseudoscorpiones Catalog'' accepts the following 119 genera: * '' Acanthicochernes'' Beier, 1964 * '' Acuminochernes'' Hoff, 1949 * '' Ade ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Australia. It was described in 1989 by Australian

arachnologist Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly ...

Clarice Kennedy Clarice Mary Araluen Kennedy (4 September 1910 – 1998) was an Australian athlete who competed in a range of athletics events. A student at Fort Street High School in Sydney, Kennedy was a versatile athlete in the late 1920s and 1930s, success ...

. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''doyleae'' honours Suzanne Doyle, colleague and field assistant of the author.

Description

The body length of males is 2.70–3.28 mm; that of females 2.92–3.46 mm. The colour is dark red-brown.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in eastern

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. The type locality is Stanley Street, Chatswood,

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, where pseudoscorpions were collected from beneath the bark of a brush box tree.

Behaviour

The pseudoscorpions are

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

predators Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

References

Chernetidae Endemic fauna of Australia Pseudoscorpions of Australia Arthropods of New South Wales Animals described in 1989 Taxa named by Clarice Kennedy {{pseudoscorpion-stub