[Arachnida • 2025] Pseudocleobis elongatus, P. atacamensis, P. lalackama, P. puna, etc. • Unveiling High solifuge Diversity: Review of the Genus Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 (Solifugae: Ammotrechidae) in Chile with the description of nine new species

 

(A) Pseudocleobis lalackama n. sp. (B) P. elongatus n. sp. (D) P. atacamensis n. sp.

(A) P. escuadra n. sp., male. (B) P. cakalovici n. sp., male. (D) P. cakalovici n. sp., female.

in Iuri, Ojanguren-Affilastro, Maury, Alfaro, Camousseigt-Montolivo et Pizarro-Araya, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309776  

Abstract

The Pseudocleobis from Chile are revised. Pseudocleobis morsicans (Gervais, 1849) and P. chilensis Roewer, 1934 are considered species inquerenda. Pseudocleobis andinus (Pocock, 1899) is removed from the Chilean fauna, and its previous records are considered misidentifications. Pseudocleobis alticola Pocock, 1900 is recorded from Chile for the first time. Nine new species are described, Pseudocleobis elongatus n. sp., P. atacamensis n. sp., P. puna n. sp., P. krausi n. sp., P. choros n. sp., P. lalackama n. sp., P. mumai n. sp., P. cekalovici n. sp. and P. escuadra n. sp. The species can be distinguished by the male chelicera morphology. We discuss the relationship of Chilean Pseudocleobis with other species of the genus, based on morphology. This work increases the number of known Chilean solifuge species by almost 70%, revealing the high degree of diversification of this group in Chile.

Live male specimens of some Chilean Pseudocleobis species.
 (A) Pseudocleobis lalackama n. sp. (B) Pseudocleobis elongatus n. sp.
(C) Pseudocleobis krausi n. sp. (D) Pseudocleobis atacamensis n. sp.

Live specimens of some Chilean Pseudocleobis species.
(A) Pseudocleobis escuadra n. sp., male. (B-C) Pseudocleobis cakalovici n. sp., male. (D) P. cakalovici n. sp., female.

Habitat of some Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 in Chile.
 (A) Paposo, Antofagasta region (Coastal Desert enviroment). (B) Pan de Azúcar national park, Atacama region (Coastal Desert enviroment).
(C) Caleta El Cobre, Antofagasta region (Coastal Desert-Absolute Desert ecotone). (D) Nevados Tres Cruces national park, near Paso San Francisco, Atacama region (High Andean environment).
(E). Rivera Río Volcán, Metropolitan región (Central Andes environment). (F) Fundo La Escuadra, Maule region (Central Andes environment).

 Hernán Augusto Iuri, Andrés Alejandro Ojanguren-Affilastro, Emilio A. Maury, Fermín M. Alfaro, Bernardino Camousseigt-Montolivo and Jaime Pizarro-Araya. 2025. Unveiling High solifuge Diversity: Review of the Genus Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 (Ammotrechidae) in Chile with the description of nine new species. PLoS ONE. 20(1): e0309776. DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309776