Overview of Arachnids and Arachnology in Iran
2019
James Cokendolpher (Invertebrate Zoology, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79415, U.S.A.) | Alireza Zamani (Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, FI-20014, University of Turku, Finland) | Nataly Yu. Snegovaya (Institute of Zoology, Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, pr. 1128, kv. 504, AZ 1073, Azerbaijan)
An overview of the Arachnida and their study in Iran is provided. Besides ancient poetry, relics (going back to 5,000 YBP), and early medical observations (at least 2,000 YBP), the first published taxonomical observations of arachnids from Iran were in 1807 about scorpions. The superorders Parasitiformes and Acariformes (mites and ticks) have received by far the most attention among all of the Arachnida thanks to their economic and medical/veterinary importance. Occurrences have been noted for over 1,733 species in four orders: Ixodida, Mesostigmata, Sarcoptiformes, and Trombidiformes. The first tick of the Ixodida was described in 1818. The first mite species described from Iran was of the Mesostigmata in 1982. The first member of the Sarcoptiformes named from Iran is uncertain, but the first Iranian species of the Suborder Oribatida was described in 1984 and was likely the first for the order. The first species described from Iran of the Order Trombidiformes were named in 1995. Studies on spiders started in 1874. Spiders are recorded by the occurrences of 764 species. Scorpions number 68 species in Iran and receive a lot of study and are better known compared to mites and spiders on a percentage basis, because scorpions have such a small diversity worldwide. The first Iranian species of Solifugae was described in 1895. The camel spiders are known from 67 species. Pseudoscorpions are recorded by 65 species. The Opiliones are known by 22 named species. The Amblypygi are recorded from Iran by one species described in 2018.
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