''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order

Amblypygi Amblypygi is an order of arachnids also known as whip-spiders or tailless whip-scorpions, not to be confused with whip-scorpions or vinegaroons that belong to the related order Thelyphonida. The name "amblypygid" means "blunt tail", a referen ...

), of the family

Phrynidae Phrynidae is a Family (biology), family of amblypygid chelicerata, arachnida arthropods also known as whip spiders and tailless whip scorpions. Phrynidae species are found in tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical regions in North and Sout ...

. It is distributed from the southwestern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

, including several

Caribbean islands Most of the Caribbean countries are islands in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest islands include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Some of the smaller islands are referred to as a ''rock'' or ''reef.'' ''I ...

. Most species are endemic to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The genus was first described as ''Hemiphrynus'' by

Reginald Pocock Reginald Innes Pocock, (4 March 1863 – 9 August 1947) was a British zoologist. Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's Sch ...

in 1902. Since there was already a beetle genus named '' Hemiphrynus'', A. Moreno renamed the genus ''Paraphrynus'' in 1940. The genus was revised by Carolyn Mullinex in 1975.

Description

The pedipalp tibia has nine or ten (rarely more) dorsal spines. Between the two longest spines are two shorter ones. This pattern of spines distinguishes ''Paraphrynus'' from the closely related genus ''Phrynus'', which has only one spine between the two longest spines.

Taxonomy

This

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

can be told apart from ''

Phrynus ''Phrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders found in tropical and subtropical regions, mostly in the new world. Appearance Like other species of the order Amblypygi, species of the genus ''Phrynus'' are dorso-ventrally flattened arachnids with elonga ...

'' by observing the patella of the

pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to ...

, which in ''Phrynus'' has one small spine between the two largest, while ''Paraphrynus'' has two. It can be distinguished from '' Acanthophrynus'' by its lack of spines in the frontal region of the

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...

. The remaining member of the family Phrynidae, '' Heterophrynus,'' does not seem to be

sympatric In biology, two closely related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter each other. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct spe ...

with any species of this genus. There are about 18 species: * ''

Paraphrynus aztecus ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' (Pocock, 1894) * '' Paraphrynus baeops'' (Mullinex, 1975) * '' Paraphrynus carolynae'' Armas, 2012 * '' Paraphrynus chacmool'' (Rowland, 1973) * '' Paraphrynus chiztun'' (Rowland, 1973) * '' Paraphrynus cubensis'' Quintero, 1983 * ''

Paraphrynus emaciatus ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Mullinex, 1975 * ''

Paraphrynus grubbsi ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Cokendolpher and Sissom, 2001 * ''

Paraphrynus laevifrons ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' (Pocock, 1894) * ''

Paraphrynus leptus ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Mullinex, 1975 * ''

Paraphrynus macrops ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' (Pocock, 1894) * ''

Paraphrynus maya ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Armas, Trujillo & Agreda 2017 * ''

Paraphrynus mexicanus ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' (Bilimek, 1867) * ''

Paraphrynus olmeca ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Armas & Trujillo 2018 * ''

Paraphrynus pococki ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' Mullinex, 1975 * ''

Paraphrynus raptator ''Paraphrynus'' is a genus of whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi), of the family Phrynidae. It is distributed from the southwestern United States to Central America, including several Caribbean islands. Most spec ...

'' (Pocock, 1902) * '' Paraphrynus reddelli'' Mullinex, 1979 * '' Paraphrynus robustus'' (Franganillo, 1931) * '' Paraphrynus velmae'' Mullinex, 1975 * '' Paraphrynus viridiceps'' (Pocock, 1894) * '' Paraphrynus williamsi'' Moreno, 1940

Biology

Like other Amblypygi, the species in this genus are nocturnal predators that dwell in moist microenvironments. Some species are troglophiles and some are true

troglobites A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves. These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live u ...

. They feed upon insects and other arachnids. ''Paraphrynus'' have flattened bodies that are approximately 3/8” (3-11 mm) long, with spiny pedipalps and antennae-like legs referred to as antenniform legs. The front, first pair of legs are long filamentous or whip-like tips, while the other 3 pairs of legs are positioned to the side, crablike. The longer front legs are sensory organs that are used to "feel" about and locate its prey, which they then ensnare with the spiny pedipalps. Research conducted by biologists also found that the front legs of ''P. laevifronsis'' are used to navigate to their refuge prior to dawn, usually spending the night hunting for prey on the vertical surfaces of tree trunks in a

neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...

environment.Bingman, V.P.; Graving, J.M.; Hebets, E.A.; Wiegmann, D.D. (2017). “Importance of the antenniform legs, but not vision, for homing by the neotropical whip spider Paraphrynus laevifrons”. Journal of Experimental Biology. 220: 885-890. Doi: 10.1242/jeb.149823

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2562048 Amblypygi Cave arachnids