Draculoides is a genus of troglobite schizomid arachnids endemic to North West Australia. Often mistaken for spiders, they are commonly known as short-tailed whip-scorpions or sprickets.
Description Schizomids are small, soil-dwelling, eight-legged invertebrates that walk on six legs and use the two modified front legs as feelers. They employ large fang-like pedipalps, or pincers, to grasp invertebrate prey and crunch it into pieces before sucking out the juices.
Taxonomy The genus was first described in 1992 by Mark Harvey of the Western Australian Museum,Draculoides Harvey, M. S. 1992. The Schizomida (Chelicerata) of Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 77–129 . based on his earlier description of Schizomus vinei (Draculoides vinei).Harvey, M. S. 1988. A new troglobitic schizomid from Cape Range, Western Australia (Chelicerata: Schizomida). Records of the Western Australian Museum 14: 15–20 .
A second species was described in 1995, Draculoides bramstokeri, based on specimens found at Barrow Island; the specific epithet honours Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula.Harvey, M. S. & Humphreys, W. F. 1995. Notes on the genus Draculoides Harvey (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae), with the description of a new troglobitic species. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 52: 183–189 . The allusion to this fictional character, a vampire, in the name of the genus is given for the method of consuming its prey, and further allusions to vampirism appear in the epithets of subsequently described species.
The genus is considered a senior synonym of Paradraculoides, due to paraphyly and a lack of consistent morphological differences.
Species , the World Arachnida Catalog accepted the following species:
Draculoides affinis (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides akashae Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides anachoretus (Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008) Draculoides belalugosii Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides bramstokeri Harvey & Humphreys, 1995 Draculoides brooksi Harvey, 2001 Draculoides bythius (Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008) Draculoides carmillae Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides catho (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides celatus (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides christopherleei Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides claudiae Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides cochranus (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides confusus (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides eremius (Abrams & Harvey, 2015) Draculoides gnophicola (Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008) Draculoides immortalis Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides julianneae Harvey, 2001 Draculoides karenbassettae Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides kryptus (Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008) Draculoides mckechnieorum Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides mesozeirus Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008 Draculoides minae Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides neoanthropus Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008 Draculoides noctigrassator Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides nosferatu Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides obrutus (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides piscivultus Abrams & Harvey, 2020 Draculoides trinity (Framenau, Hamilton, Finston, Humphreys, Abrams, Huey & Harvey, 2018) Draculoides vinei (Harvey, 1988) Draculoides warramboo Abrams & Harvey, 2020
See also Threatened fauna of Australia
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Further reading