Rediscovery of the enigmatic solifuges (Arachnida: Solifugae) at Lampedusa Island (Italy)

2018

Solifuges were recorded in Italy for the first time in 1956, on the island of Lampedusa (Strait of Sicily), and classified as Biton ehrenbergi Karsch, 1880 and Biton velox Simon, 1885. More than 60 years later, we carried out the first targeted investigation of these little-known animals. A survey conducted during both spring and autumn 2017 confirmed the presence of solifuges on Lampedusa Island. We identified all specimens as B. velox and not B. ehrenbergi. We concluded that B. ehrenbergi is absent from the island, on the basis of both newly collected data and a re-evaluation of the past records. Morphology and taxonomic position of the examined specimens are discussed in light of the unr…