Taxonomy On Cheliferidae From China(Pseudoscorpiones: Iocheirata)

The pseudoscorpions are very similar to scorpions,which their bodies are very small sized.The family Cheliferidae,nearly cosmopolitan in distribution,belongs to the superfamily Cheliferoidea,the suborder Iocheirata,the order Pseudoscorpiones,the class Arachnida,the phylum Arthropoda.The dissertation deals with a comprehensive taxonomic research of the Chinese Cheliferidae.Chapters one and two introduce morphological characters,taxonomic status,progress of classification research and collection and treatment of specimens of the family Cheliferidae.Chapter three deals with the identification,description and drawing of new species,which distribute in China and deposited in the MHBU;deutonymph and tritonymph of some new species are described and photographed.However,the species were seriously redescribed by checking the original description,which distribute in China but not deposited in the laboratory.54 characteristic patterns are provided in the paper,which include 40 photos and 14 pictures.The paper includes 10 genera,29 species belonging to the family Cheliferidae in China,among them,the four genera Centrochelifer Beier,1959,Gobichelifer Krumpál,1979,Lissochelifer Chamberlin,1932 and Metachelifer Redikorzev,1938 are first recorded in China;18 species Centrochelifer huochengensis sp.nov.,C.quadratus sp.nov.,C.tenebricus sp.nov.,Dactylochelifer convexus sp.nov.,D.corniculatus sp.nov.,D.gaoi sp.nov.,Gobichelifer apenes sp.nov.,G.didymos sp.nov.,G.rotundus sp.nov.,Lissochelifer alveatus sp.nov.,L.longyangensis sp.nov.,Lophochernes placitus sp.nov.,L.suasus sp.nov.,Metachelifer crassus sp.nov.,M.gracilpalmus sp.nov.,M.magnificus sp.nov.,M.parvus sp.nov.and M.rubricatus sp.nov.are described as new to science and one species Dactylochelifer kerzhneri Beier,1973 is first recorded in China.Keys to genera and species are also presented.All specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University(MHBU),Baoding City,China,if not otherwise specified.