Unnoticed in the tropics

Abstract

Ricinulei are among the most obscure and cryptic arachnid orders, constituting a micro-diverse group with extreme endemism. The 76 extant species described to date are grouped in three genera:Ricinoides, from tropical Western and Central Africa, and the two Neotropical generaCryptocellus and Pseudocellus. Until now, a single molecular phylogeny of Ricinulei has been published, recovering the African Ricinoidesas the sister group of the AmericanPseudocellusand providing evidence for the diversification of the order pre-dating the fragmentation of Gondwana.