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the web of life in southern Africa

Schizomida (schizomids)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthropoda > Arachnomorpha > Cheliceriformes > Chelicerata > Euchelicerata > Arachnida

Usually smaller than 5 mm long and are rarely over one cm long. They are found mainly in tropical and subtropical environments, where they live under rocks, in soil and leaf litter, or in caves. There are 38 genera and 218 species worldwide with only one genus (Megaschizomus) and two species recorded from southern Africa.

Species recorded from southern Africa

Information from Harvey (2003).

Megaschizomus mossambicus

Recorded from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique.

 

Megaschizomus zuluanus

Recorded from Dukuduku forest, near Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

 

Publications

  • Harvey MS. 2003. Catalogue of the smaller arachnid orders of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
  • Lawrence RF. 1969. The Uropygi (Arachnida: Schizomida) of the Ethiopian region. Journal of Natural History 3: 217-260.

Text by Hamish Robertson