Austinochernes andrewaustini

Austinochernes andrewaustini is a species of pseudoscorpion in the Chernetidae family. It is endemic to Australia. It was described in 2021 by Australian arachnologist Mark Harvey. The specific epithet andrewaustini honours Professor Andy Austin.

Description

The body length of the male holotype is 2.87 mm; that of female paratypes 2.66–2.82 mm. The colour of the pedipalps, coxae and carapace is deep red-brown, the legs yellow-brown.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in south-eastern Australia. The type locality is the summit of Mount Barker in the Mount Lofty Ranges east of Adelaide, where the holotype was collected from beneath a rock, with ants. The species has also been recorded from Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenong Ranges, 40 km east of Melbourne.

Behaviour

The pseudoscorpions are terrestrial predators.