Sphaerowithius Mahnert, 1988

Harvey, Mark S. & Mahnert, Volker, 2015, A new species of Sphaerowithius (Pseudoscorpiones, Withiidae) from Namibia, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 491-491 : 492

Genus Sphaerowithius Mahnert, 1988

Sphaerowithius Mahnert 1988: 68–69 .

Type species: Chelifer (Trachychernes) perpusillus Ellingsen, 1910 , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Sphaerowithius differs from other withiid genera by the paired, rounded spermathecae.

Remarks: The genus Sphaerowithius is represented bY five named species: S. basilewskyi ( Beier, 1962) from Tanzania ( Beier 1962), S. perpusillus ( Ellingsen, 1910) from Kenya ( Ellingsen 1910), S. saegeri (Beier, 1972) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Beier 1972), S. vafer (Beier, 1966) from South Africa (Beier 1966 a), and S. salomonensis (Beier, 1966) from the Solomon Islands (Beier 1966 b). The latter species was only doubtfully included in the genus (Mahnert 1988).All of these species had been included in the genus Nannowithius Beier, 1932 until Mahnert (1988) demonstrated fundamental differences between this group of species and typical Nannowithius , which was found to be a senior synonym of Myrmecowithius Beier, 1963 .