Maltese palpigrade

Eukoenenia christiani
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Palpigradi
Family: Eukoeneniidae
Genus: Eukoenenia
Species: E. christiani
Binomial name
Eukoenenia christiani
Condé, 1988 [1]

The Maltese palpigrade (known as Il-Palpigrad ta' Malta in Maltese), endemic to the Maltese Islands, comes from the Order Palpigradi, a rather primitive order of arachnids. There are 80 species of palpigrade worldwide (see the article Palpigradi). They are small and eyeless with a long tail-like structure.[2]

Contents

Discovery

The Maltese palpigrade was first discovered in 1988 when a specimen was found in a cave in the Girgenti Valley (Malta).[2] Since then, no news of another specimen has been heard of making the Maltese palpigrade a very rare species.[2]

General features

The Maltese palpigrade is 1.2 millimetres (0.047 in) long, and is depicted as having a light brown colouring.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mark S. Harvey (2003). "Order Palpigradi Thorell". Catalogue of the smaller arachnid orders of the world: Amblypygi, Uropygi, Schizomida, Palpigradi, Ricinulei and Solifugae. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 151–174. ISBN 9780643068056. 
  2. ^ a b c d Wildlife of the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust, 1995