Chaerilida Soleglad & Fet, 2003

Soleglad, Michael E. & Fet, Victor, 2003, High-level systematics and phylogeny of the extant scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Euscorpius 2003 (11), pp. 1-175 : 91

Parvorder Chaerilida Soleglad & Fet , new parvorder

Composition. This monotypic parvorder, established here, includes the monotypic superfamily Chaeriloidea . It corresponds to orthobothriotaxy “ Type B” ( Vachon, 1974; Soleglad & Fet, 2001).

Distribution. South and Southeast Asia. No fossil taxa are known.

Biogeographic history. The parvorder and superfamily could have been established in Permian/Triassic, judging from their ancestral position in scorpion phylogeny. We cannot speculate on whether this lineage was localized or widespread since there are no fossils belonging to Chaerilida , and the parvorder is represented by a single monotypic genus.

Diagnosis. Scorpions in the parvorder Chaerilida can be distinguished by the following characters: Synapomorphies. Orthobothriotaxy type B; pedipalp femoral d 3 –d 4 trichobothria configuration points toward dorsoexternal carina; cheliceral fixed finger with median and basal denticles flush on surface, not conjoined on common trunk; sternum, type 1, exhibits subtle wide horizontal compression; maxillary lobes I spatulate; hemispermatophore is fusiform; pedipalp patella with ”6-carinae” configuration. Important Symplesiomorphies. Median denticle row ( MD) of pedipalp chelal finger arranged in oblique groups; pedipalp chela exhibits “8-carinae” configuration; ventral edge of cheliceral movable finger crenulated; dorsal edge of cheliceral movable finger with a single subdistal denticle; ventral surface of cheliceral fixed finger with denticles; leg tibial spurs absent .