''Synsphyronus paradoxus'' 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

Garypidae Garypidae is a family of pseudoscorpions, first described by Eugène Simon in 1879. Genera , the ''World Pseudoscorpiones Catalog'' accepts the following eleven genera: * '' Ammogarypus'' Beier, 1962 * '' Anagarypus'' Chamberlin, 1930 * '' Anc ...

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 was described in 1930 by American

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 ...

Joseph Conrad Chamberlin Joseph Conrad Chamberlin (December 23, 1898 – July 17, 1962) was an American arachnologist who studied mainly pseudoscorpions. A native of Utah, he studied primarily at Stanford University while working most of his career in Oregon for the U.S. D ...

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in central and south-eastern Australia in the

Lake Eyre Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in the east-central part of the Far North (South Australia), Far North region of South Australia, some 700 km (435 mi) north of Adelaide. It is the larg ...

and

Murray–Darling basin The Murray–Darling Basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, encompassing the drainage basin of the tributaries of the Murray River, Australia's longest river, and the Darling River, a right tributary of ...

s in woodland habitats, often under bark. The type locality is

Menindee Menindee (derived from Minandichi, the original Indigenous name for Lake Menindee, and frequently but erroneously spelled "Menindie") is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Da ...

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

paradoxus Pseudoscorpions of Australia Arthropods of New South Wales Arthropods of South Australia Arthropods of Victoria (state) Animals described in 1930 Taxa named by Joseph Conrad Chamberlin Endemic fauna of Australia {{pseudoscorpion-stub