Jack O. Brookhart

THE SYSTEMATICS OF THE EREMOBATES SCABER SPECIES-GROUP (SOLIFUGAE, EREMOBATIDAE)

Abstract The scaber group of the genus Eremobates is reviewed in terms of new characters and a more restricted biogeographic area. Three new species are described from the U.S.A.: Eremobates socal (California), E. icenoglei (California), E. corpink (Utah). We synonymize E. gladiolus Muma with E. scaber (Kraepelin); E. consors Muma, E. ascopulatus Muma and E. flavus with E. ascopulatus Muma; and E. mimbrenus Muma with E. mormonus (Roewer). Eremobates scaber, E. hodai Muma, E. clarus Muma, E. similis Muma are now described from both sexes. All scaber species except the Mexican species, E. legalis Harvey, are now known from both sexes. We also present the first phylogeny of the species group based on morphological characters. This phylogeny demonstrates a geographic grouping into northern and southern clades.

NEW SPECIES OF EREMOBATIDAE (ARACHNIDA, SOLIFUGAE) FROM NORTH AMERICA

Abstract Five new species of Solifugae are described from North America: Eremobates chihuaensis, Eremobates gerbae, Hemerotrecha sevilleta, Hemerotrecha cornuta, Eremochelis oregonensis as well as the females of Eremocosta gigasella (Muma, 1970), and Eremobates polhemusi Muma & Brookhart, 1988.

Natural history of coastal Peruvian solifuges with a redescription of Chinchippus peruvianus and an additional new species (Arachnida, Solifugae, Ammotrechidae)

Abstract Two species of Chinchippus (Ammotrechidae) were studied in central Peru. Both species are endemic to the hyper-arid coastal desert and appear to derive most of their energy and nutrients from maritime prey, such as intertidal amphipods feeding on beach-cast algae or as arthropod scavengers feeding upon seabird and pinniped carcasses. Data on the spatial distribution of the two species were obtained from analyzing stomach contents of one common predator, the gecko Phyllodactylus angustidigitus, and suggest that both species are more abundant in insular than in mainland habitats. We redescribe Chinchippus peruvianus Chamberlin 1920, known only from a female specimen and describe the male for the first time while C. viejaensis is recognized as new. The new species is distinguished from C. peruvianus by its darker coloration, smaller size, and differences in cheliceral dentition.

AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF CONTINENTAL NORTH AMERICAN SOLIFUGAE WITH TYPE DEPOSITORIES, ABUNDANCE, AND NOTES ON THEIR ZOOGEOGRAPHY

Abstract A checklist of North American solifugae is presented along with their type localities, location of types, known numbers of specimens of each sex collected and the biomic distribution of each species. One hundred ninety-six solifugid species have been recorded in mainland North America, mostly from the United States. Forty-eight species are known from types only. Fifty-five species are known from males only and twenty-four are known from females only. The large hot deserts, Chihuahua and Sonora, contain the majority of collected solifugid species.

THREE NEW SPECIES OF SOLIFUGAE FROM NORTH AMERICA AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE FEMALE OF BRANCHIA BREVIS (ARACHNIDA, SOLIFUGAE)

Abstract Three new species of Solifugae are described: Eremobates paleta from Mexico, is a member of the Eremobates scaber species group; Eremobates inkopaensis from California, U.S.A., is a member of the Eremobates palpisetulosus group; and Eremochelis albaventralis from Mexico is tentatively placed in the Eremochelis bilobatus group. The female of Branchia brevis Muma from Texas, U.S.A. is described for the first time.

Hemerotrecha banksi (Arachnida, Solifugae), a diurnal group of solifuges from North America

Abstract The Hemerotrecha banksi group is revised and the status of the genus Hemerotrecha is examined. The female of H. truncata Muma 1951 is described for the first time, and five new species are named: H. hanfordana, H. kaboomi, H. prenticei. H. pseudotruncata, and H. vetteri.

A multilocus molecular phylogeny of the endemic North American camel spider family Eremobatidae (Arachnida: Solifugae).

Camel spiders (Solifugae) are a diverse but poorly studied order of arachnids. No robust phylogenetic analysis has ever been carried out for the order or for any family within the Solifugae. We present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the endemic North American family Eremobatidae Kraepelin, 1899, the first such analysis of a family of Solifugae. We use a multi-locus exemplar approach using DNA sequences from partial nuclear (28S rDNA and Histone H3) and mitochondrial (16S rRNA and Cytochrome c Oxidase I) gene loci for 81 ingroup exemplars representing all genera of Eremobatidae and most species groups within the genera Eremobates Banks, 1900, Eremochelis Roewer, 1934, and Hemerotrecha Banks, 1903. Maximum Likelihood and two Bayesian analyses consistently recovered the monophyly of Eremobatidae, Eremorhax Roewer, 1934 and Eremothera Muma, 1951 along with a group comprising all subfamily Eremobatinae Kraepelin, 1901 exemplars except Horribates bantai Muma, 1989 and a group comprising all Eremocosta Roewer, 1934 exemplars except Eremocosta acuitalpanensis (Vasquez and Gavin, 2000). The subfamily Therobatinae Muma, 1951 and the genera Chanbria Muma, 1951, Hemerotrecha, Eremochelis, and Eremobates were polyphyletic or paraphyletic. Only the banksi group of Hemerotrecha was monophyletic; the other species groups recognized within Eremobates, Eremochelis, and Hemerotrecha were paraphyletic or polyphyletic. We found no support for the monophyly of the subfamily Therobatinae. A time-calibrated phylogeny dated the most recent common ancestor of extant eremobatids to the late Eocene to early Miocene, with a mean estimate in the late Oligocene (32.2 Ma).

The Plateau Giant Tiger Beetle, Amblycheila picolominii Reiche, 1839, in Utah: New State Record (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae)

ABSTRACT. The plateau giant tiger beetle, Amblycheila picolominii, Reiche, 1839, is recorded from Utah for the first time. This is the northernmost record of the species.

Revision of the camel spider genus Eremocosta Roewer and a description of the female Eremocosta gigas Roewer (Arachnida, Solifugae)

A recent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the solifuge genus Eremocosta (Eremobatidae), although not monophyletic, formed a strongly supported group, rendered paraphyletic by the exclusion of E. acuitlapanensis, which we herein determine is misplaced in this genus. We revise the taxonomy of the genus Eremocosta. Nine species of the 13 currently placed in the genus are retained, E. bajaensis (Muma 1986), E. calexicensis (Muma 1951), E. formidabilus (Simon 1879), E. gigas Roewer 1934, E. gigasella (Muma 1970), E. spinipalpis (Kraepelin 1899), E. striata (Putnam 1883), and E. titania (Muma 1951). Eremocosta fusca (Muma 1986) and E. montezuma (Roewer 1934) are returned to the genus Eremorhax along with E. arenarum. Eremocosta hystrix and Eremocosta acuitlapanensis (Vázquez Gaviño-Rojas 2000) are transferred to Eremobates. We re-evaluated E. nigrimana (Pocock 1895) and determined that, since the type shows the ventrodistal concavity (VDC) diagnostic for the genus Eremocosta, it should be retained in that genus; however, because the type locality is identified as Afghanistan, far outside the range of any Eremobatidae, its status and placement remain uncertain. Eremocosta robusta (Roewer 1934) was designated nomen dubium by Muma and we maintain this designation. We provide a key to the species of Eremocosta and provide a description of the female of E. gigas.

Nine new species of the Eremobates scaber species group of the North American camel spider genus Eremobates (Solifugae, Eremobatidae)

Nine new species of the Eremobates scaber species group of the solifuge genus Eremobates Banks 1900 are described, eight of them from Mexico. These new species are: E. axacoa, E. bonito, E. cyranoi, E. fisheri, E. hidalgoana, E. jaliscoana, E. minamoritaana, E. zacatecana, and E. zapal and together increase the size of this species group to 23. A key to all species in the E. scaber species group is also provided.