Stenochrus portoricensis

Chamberlin, 1922

short-tailed whipscorpion, microwhipscorpion

Stenochrus portoricensis is a widely distributed short-tailed whipscorpion (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) to the Neotropics and Nearctic regions. The exhibits exceptional capability facilitated by parthenogenetic , enabling establishment in diverse across multiple continents. Molecular studies indicate the species is , with a Mesoamerican origin and multiple independent introductions to Europe and the Caribbean from the Yucatán Peninsula. Sexual persist in natural habitats across Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico, while parthenogenetic lineages dominate ranges.

Stenochrus portoricensis (10.3897-subtbiol.29.30418) Figure 3 (cropped) by Bichuette ME, Simões LB, Zepon T, von Schimonsky DM, Gallão JE (2019) Richness and taxonomic distinctness of cave invertebrates from the northeastern state of Goiás, central Brazil: a vulnerable and singular area. Subterranean Biology 29: 1-33. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.29.30418. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Stenochrus portoricensis 25798200 by Sebastian Serna Muñoz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Stenochrus portoricensis 25798243 by Sebastian Serna Muñoz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stenochrus portoricensis: /ˈstɛ.nə.krʊs ˌpɔr.toʊ.rɪˈsɛn.sɪs/

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Identification

Distinguished from primarily by female , the diagnostic character used in its original description. are small, pale with a characteristic short, flagelliform (whip-like sensory appendage) that is relatively short compared to other arachnid . The and are clearly separated, with the opisthosoma bearing a short . Specific identification requires examination of structures, as the shows minimal external morphological variation across its broad range.

Images

Habitat

Found in forest leaf litter, caves, under stones, and on tree bark. In anthropized areas, occurs in cities and urban environments. In Europe, established primarily in greenhouses. In Brazil, documented from abandoned nests in cocoa plantations and the Atlantic Forest. In Rica, collected from bromeliads on trees at 1–3 meters height. Also recorded from hypogean (subterranean) .

Distribution

range: Antilles (Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Virgin Islands), Central America (Belize, Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), and North America (Bermuda, Mexico, USA: Florida). and established: South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador including Galápagos Islands and Guayaquil, Venezuela), and Europe (Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain including Canary Islands and Sevilla). New records include Costa Rica (Guanacaste), Venezuela (Mérida), and multiple Brazilian states (Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo).

Host Associations

abandoned arboreal termite nests - microhabitatSeveral female specimens found associated with abandoned nests in a cocoa plantation in Bahia, Brazil
Ethelum americanum - microhabitat co-occurrenceShares microhabitat with this under stones in anthropized areas

Human Relevance

Considered a potentially due to its broad distribution, ecological , and parthenogenetic enabling rapid . Established in European greenhouses and urban areas suggest human-mediated . The ' ability to thrive in anthropized raises concerns about potential ecological impacts, though specific effects remain unstudied.

Similar Taxa

Stenochrus species complexS. portoricensis was historically confused with ; two previously synonymized under S. portoricensis have been revalidated based on molecular and morphological data. The remaining S. portoricensis stricto comprises two subclades with minimal genetic divergence.
Rowlandius speciesBoth are hubbardiid schizomids occurring in the Neotropics, but Rowlandius are distinguished by different and genital , and have more restricted distributions.