2023 in arthropod paleontology

2023 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, trilobites, and other arthropods (except insects, which have their own list) that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2023.

Chelicerates

Arachnids

Araneae New Araneae taxa Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesArthrolycosa wolterbeekiSp. novValidDunlopCarboniferous (Moscovian)Osnabrück FormationA spider belonging to the family Arthrolycosidae.Balticonopsis duploSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Anapidae.?Cornicaraneus unuspedipalpusSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Zarqaraneidae.Curvitibia pellucidusSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Zarqaraneidae.Electroblemma retroflectumSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae.Eocryphoeca amputataSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Cybaeidae.Eocryphoeca laesaSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Cybaeidae.Eomysmauchenius cretaceominimusSp. novPeng et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Archaeidae.Esuritor duospinaeSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A nursery web spider.Esuritor nonincisioSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A nursery web spider.Esuritor rovnoensisSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneRovno amberA nursery web spider.GibberaraneoidGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider, probably a member of the family Zarqaraneidae. The type species is G. furcula.Insecutor angustidentesSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Insecutoridae.Insecutor cymbiumsetaSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Insecutoridae.KachinblemmaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Tetrablemmidae. The type species is K. constrictum.MegamonodontiumGen. et sp. novValidMcCurry, Frese & RavenMioceneMcGraths Flat siteA spider belonging to the family Barychelidae. The type species is M. mccluskyi.MyanmarmysmenaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider, possibly a member of the family Mysmenidae. The type species is M. grandipalpus.NanoaenigmaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA symphytognathidan Araneoidea spider the type genus of the new family Nanoaenigmatidae. The type species is N. pumilio.Opellianus fissuraSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Uloboridae.PalaeophantesGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Linyphiidae. The type species is P. paracymbium.ParakachinGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Uloboridae. The type species is P. pectunculus.ParvimegasetaeGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Megasetidae. The type species is P. araneoides.PromacrotheleGen. et sp. novTang, Engel & Yang in Tang et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Macrothelidae. The type species is P. polyacantha.ScutcybaeusGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Cybaeidae. The type species is S. brevitricha.Scytodes daniloharmsSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A species of Scytodes spitting spider.?Scytodes nonaltaSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spitting spider.SpinatibiaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Liocranidae. The types species is S. curvitibia.Spinipalpitibia occultaSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Protoaraneoididae.SuccinariaGen. et 2 sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Cybaeidae. The type species is S. lingua; genus might also include S? adcoccinoidea.UnguistegenariaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A spider belonging to the family Agelenidae. The type species is U. sinemammillae.

Araneae research The first known male specimen of Strotarchus paradoxus is described from the Miocene Mexican amber by García-Villafuerte & Ibarra-Núñez (2023). A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil members of Palpimanoidea is published by Wood & Wunderlich (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of closer relationships of palpimanoids from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar with the Gondwanan taxa, and indicative of dispersal of Gondwanan lineages through the Burma terrane into the Holarctic in the Cretaceous. Richardson, McCurry & Frese (2023) describe fossil material of a member of the genus Simaetha from the Miocene of Australia, interpreted as consistent with the molecular-based studies indicating that the radiation of the astioid jumping spiders at the Oligocene/Miocene transition happened in Australasia.

Chimerarachnida Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesChimerarachne alexbeigelSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberChimerarachne patrickmuellerSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberChimerarachne spiniflagellumSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amber

Ixodida New Ixodida taxa Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesArchaeocroton kaufmaniSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Mans & Dunlop in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA hard tick. Announced in 2022; the final article version was published in 2023.Bothriocroton muelleriSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Mans & Dunlop in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA hard tick. Announced in 2022; the final article version was published in 2023. Ixodida research New specimens of Compluriscutula vetulum, providing new information on the morphology of this tick, are described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Chitimia-Dobler et al. (2023).

Mesostigmata Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesUropodella hoffeinsorumSp. novValidLindquist & VorontsovEoceneBaltic amberUsedomA mesostigmataan mite, a species of Uropodella.

Opiliones Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesFoveacorpusGen. et 2 sp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & GiribetCretaceousBurmese amberA member of Opiliones belonging to the group Cyphophthalmi. Genus includes F. cretaceus and F. parvus.Leptopsalis breyeriSp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & GiribetCretaceousBurmese amberA member of Opiliones belonging to the family Stylocellidae.MesopsalisGen. et sp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & GiribetCretaceousBurmese amberA member of Opiliones belonging to the group Cyphophthalmi. Genus includes M. oblongus.SirocellusGen. et sp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & GiribetCretaceousBurmese amberA cyphophthalmine Opiliones Genus with a combination of sironid and stylocellid traits. The type species is S. iunctus.TyrannobunusGen. et sp. novValidBartel & DunlopCretaceousBurmese amberA eupnoid harvestman. The type species is T. aculeus.

Oribatida Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesCerachipteria ahsokatanoaeSp. novValidArillo, Subías & HuangCretaceousBurmese amberA mite belonging to the family Achipteriidae.

Pseudoscorpions Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesAjkagarypinusGen. et sp. novNovák et al.Late Cretaceous (Santonian)Ajka Coal FormationA pseudoscorpion belonging to the family Garypinidae. The type species is A. stephani.BaltamblyolpiumGen. et 2 sp. novValidStanczak et al.EoceneBaltic amberA pseudoscorpion belonging to the family Garypinidae. The type species is B. gizmotum from the Baltic amber The genus also includes B. grabenhorsti from the Bitterfeld amber.Chthonius marusikiSp. novTurbanov et al.EoceneRovno amberA pseudoscorpion, a species of Chthonius.

Sarcoptiformes Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesCongovidia glesoconomorphiSp. novValidKolesnikov et al.EoceneRovno amberA mite belonging to the family HemisarcoptidaeSarcoptes kutchensisSp. novAgnihotri et al.EoceneA sarcoptid mite.

Scorpiones New Scorpiones taxa Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesArchaeoscorpiops grosseiSp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Palaeoeuscorpiidae.Betaburmesebuthus fuscusSp. novValidXuan, Cai & HuangCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Palaeoburmesebuthidae.Betaburmesebuthus villosusSp. novValidXuan, Cai & HuangCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Palaeoburmesebuthidae.Cretaceousbuthus petersiSp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the superfamily Buthoidea.Cretaceoushormiops elegansSp. novXuan et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA scorpion belonging to the family Protoischnuridae.Protobuthus zilioliiSp. novValidViaretti, Bindellini & Dal SassoMiddle TriassicBesano FormationA scorpion belonging to the superfamily Buthoidea and the family Protobuthidae. Scorpiones research Dunlop & Garwood (2023) reevaluate purported Paleozoic scorpion taxa Palaeophonus arctus and Palaeophonus lightbodyi, considering them both to be nomina dubia, and consider the genus Allopalaeophonus to be a junior synonym of the genus Palaeophonus. The oldest pectinal tooth of a scorpion reported to date, preserved with small projections in sockets consistent with the peg sensilla of extant scorpions, is described from the Devonian (Emsian) strata in Scotland (United Kingdom) by Dunlop et al. (2023).

Solifugae Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesEognosippusGen. et sp. novValidDunlop, Erdek & Bartel Eocene (Lutetian)Baltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region, ?Russia)A camel spider. The type species is E. fahrenheitiana.

Trigonotarbida

Trigonotarbida research A trigonotarbid arachnid specimen is described from the Carboniferous (Moscovian) Almazna Formation (Donetsk Oblast) by Dunlop & Dernov (2023), extending known distribution of trigonotarbids in Europe.

Trombidiformes Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesUnguicheylusGen. et sp. novValidKhaustov, Vorontsov & LindquistCretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian)Taimyr amberA mite belonging to the new family Unguicheylidae, which might belong to the superfamily Anystoidea. The type species is U. quadriocellatus.

Uropygi New Uropygi taxa Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesCrethypoctonusGen. et sp. novZhou et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA member of Uropygi belonging to the family Thelyphonidae. The type species is C. kachinus.ParilisthelyphonusGen. et sp. novKnecht et al.Carboniferous (Moscovian)Rhode Island Formation()A whip scorpion. The type species is P. bryantae.

Uropygi research A study on the anatomy and affinities of Geralinura brittanica and Proschizomus petrunkevitchi is published by Garwood & Dunlop (2023), who reinterpret P. petrunkevitchi as a whip scorpion rather than a stem-schizomid. Probable new specimen of Mesoproctus rowlandi, representing the first fossil whip scorpion specimen preserved with book lungs, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil) by Alberto et al. (2023).

Eurypterids New eurypterid taxa Name NoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesArchopterusGen et sp. novValidWang et al.OrdovicianWenchang FormationLikely the oldest adelophthalmid. The type species is A. anjiensis.

Eurypterid research