2020 in arthropod paleontology

2020 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, insects, trilobites, and other arthropods that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2020.

Arachnids Newly named taxa Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesAliendiguetiaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider of uncertain phylogenetic placement, possibly related to the Ochyroceratoidea. The type species is A. praecursor.Bicornoculus granulansSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae. Biungulus Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones belonging to the family Epedanidae. Genus includes new species B. xiai. Burmacharon Gen. et sp. nov In press Hu et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A whip spider. Genus includes new species B. dunlopi.Burmesarchaea bilongapophysesSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Archaeidae.BurmesiaGen. et sp. novJunior homonymWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to family Nemesiidae. The type species is B. sordida. The generic name is preoccupied by Burmesia Healey (1908); Wunderlich (2021) coined a replacement name Burmesiana. ?Burmesiola kachinensisSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA tree trunk spider.Burmorchestina circularSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Oonopidae.Burmorchestina prominensSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Oonopidae.Burmorsolus globosusSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider, probably related to trogloraptorids.Burmorsolus longembolusSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider, probably related to trogloraptorids.Burmorsolus longibulbusSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider, probably related to trogloraptorids.ChaeriloiurusGen. et sp. novDisputedLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Chaerilobuthidae or Pseudochactidae. Genus includes new species C. brigittemuellerae. Xuan et al. (2025) considered the genus Chaeriloiurus to be a junior synonym of the genus Chaerilobuthus, though the authors maintained C. brigittemuellerae as a distinct species within the latter genus.ChaeriloscorpiopsGen. et sp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Palaeoeuscorpiidae. Genus includes new species C. bautschi.ConsteniusiGen. et sp. novValidDownen & SeldenEoceneKishenehn FormationAn orb-weaver spider. The type species is C. leonae.Curculioides bohemondiSp. novValidWhalen & SeldenCarboniferous (Pennsylvanian)Energy ShaleA member of Ricinulei, and the largest known species within that order. Cymbioblemma fuscaSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae.Cymbioblemma hamoembolusSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae.Electroblemma bifurcataSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae.Electroblemma caulaSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae.Electroblemma pinnaeSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae. Ellenbergellus Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones belonging to the family Tithaeidae. Genus includes new species E. tuberculatus.Eogamasomorpha rostratisSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae. Epieremulus sidorchukae Sp. nov In press Arillo, Subías & Peñalver Cretaceous Asturian amber A mite belonging to the group Oribatida and to the family Caleremaeidae Gigantocheles Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones belonging to the family Epedanidae. Genus includes new species G. nilsi.GigarachneGen. et sp. novValidJiang & Li in Jiang et al.Late CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the group Araneomorphae and to the new family Gigarachnidae. The type species is G. bian.GreenwaltarachneGen. et sp. novValidDownen & SeldenEoceneKishenehn FormationAn orb-weaver spider. The type species is G. pamelae.HamodercesGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the superfamily Scytodoidea and the family Praepholcidae. The type species is H. opilionoides.MagnosegestriaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberProbably a tube-dwelling spider. The type species is M. tuber. Mesokanus Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones belonging to the group Laniatores and to the new family Mesokanidae. Genus includes new species M. oehmkuehnlei. Mesozomus Gen. et sp. nov Valid Müller et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Schizomida. Genus includes new species M. groehni. Modisimus chiapanecus Sp. nov In press García-Villafuerte & Valdez-Mondragón Miocene (Aquitanian) Mexican amber A species of Modisimus MyannemesiaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to family Nemesiidae. The type species is M. glaber. Myrmecarchaea antecessor Sp. nov Carbuccia et al. Eocene (Ypresian) Oise amber A member of the family Archaeidae. Neophyllobius electrus Sp. nov Valid Zmudzinski Eocene Baltic amber Europe (Baltic Sea region) A mite, a species of Neophyllobius. Neophyllobius glaesus Sp. nov Valid Zmudzinski Eocene Baltic amber Europe (Baltic Sea region) A mite, a species of Neophyllobius. Odontomegops Gen. et sp. nov Valid Guo et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A spider belonging to the family Lagonomegopidae. Genus includes new species O. titan. Odontoscirus cretacico Sp. nov Valid Porta et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A mite belonging to the family Bdellidae. Palaeobeloniscus Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones belonging to the family Beloniscidae. Genus includes new species P. thilolebi.PalazarqaraneusGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to family Zarqaraneidae. The type species is P. hamulus.ParvoctenizaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to family Ctenizidae. The type species is P. parvula.Paurospina fastigataSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to family Zarqaraneidae.PilosarachneGen. et sp. novValidJiang & Li in Jiang et al.Late CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the group Araneomorphae and to the new family Pilosarachnidae. The type species is P. ju.Praearaneus araneoidesSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Praearaneidae.Priscaleclercera furcataSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Psilodercidae.Priscaleclercera hamoSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Psilodercidae.Priscaleclercera liberSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Psilodercidae. Procheiridium Gen. et sp. nov Valid Porta et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A pseudoscorpion belonging to the family Cheiridiidae and the subfamily Pycnocheiridiinae. Genus includes new species P. judsoni.Propterpsiloderces crassitibiaSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Eopsilodercidae.Propterpsiloderces cymbiosetaSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Eopsilodercidae.Propterpsiloderces duplexSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Eopsilodercidae.ProtertheraphosaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA tarantula. The type species is P. spinipes. Protopyramidops Gen. et sp. nov In press Bartel et al. Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber A member of Opiliones, possibly belonging to the family Pyramidopidae. Genus includes new species P. nalae.Spinicreber vacuusSp. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Pholcochyroceridae. Suraju Gen. et sp. nov In press Martine et al. Permian (Guadalupian) Teresina Formation A scorpion. Genus includes new species S. itayma. UnicornutiblemmaGen. et 3 sp. et comb. novValidWunderlich & MüllerLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae. The type species is U. gracilicornis; genus also includes new species U. brevicornis and U. longicornis, as well as "Eogamasomorpha" unicornis Wunderlich (2017).

Crustaceans

Newly named taxa

Malacostracans