Systematics of the Coal Measures whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi)

Abstract

The affinities and status of all known fossil whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi) from the Coal Measures of Europe and North America are revised. Graeophonus carbonarius (Scudder, 1876) from Cape Breton in Canada is based on an isolated insect or arachnid abdomen; and both the species and genus names (GraeophonusScudder, 1890) are regarded here as nomina dubia. A second specimen from Mazon Creek, USA was proposed, without justification, as the holotype of G. carbonarius (Scudder, 1876). In fact, it should be fixed as the holotype of the widely overlooked name G. scudderiPocock, 1911 which is placed here in the genus Weygoldtina gen. nov. and rediagnosed in comparison to the well-preserved European species W. anglica (Pocock, 1911). Both Weygoldtina species belong to the suborder Paleoamblypygi, and the family Weygoldtinidae fam. nov. is proposed to accommodate them. The holotypes of the Mazon Creek fossils Sorellophrynus carbonarius (Petrunkevitch, 1913) and Thelyphrynus elongatusPetrunkevitch, 1913 are currently noted as missing. The original description of S. carbonarius yields sufficient characters to enable a differential diagnosis of the genus, and the shape of the prosomal dorsal shield suggests that this could be the oldest representative of the suborder Euamblypygi. For T. elongatus several key characters needed to compare it to Weygoldtina and Sorellophrynus are equivocal; although the genus could probably be recognised again and is treated here as Amblypygi incertae sedis.