Parilisthelyphonus, Knecht & Benner & Dunlop & Renczkowski, 2024

Knecht, Richard J., Benner, Jacob S., Dunlop, Jason A. & Renczkowski, Mark D., 2024, The largest Palaeozoic whip scorpion and the smallest (Arachnida: Uropygi: Thelyphonida); a new species and a new ichnospecies from the Carboniferous of New England, USA, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 200 (3), pp. 690-704 : 694-696

Plesion (Genus) Parilisthelyphonus gen.nov.

Type species: Parilisthelyphonus bryantae sp. nov. (by monotypy).

Etymology: Derived from the Latin noun parilis, meaning equal, like, or similar. A reference to the near equal length of the prosoma to the opisthosoma which is here used to diagnose the genus. Masculine.

Diagnosis: Large-sized Coal Measure whip scorpion (body length> 30mm.) with slender, nearly parallel-sided opisthosoma; pygidium short and narrow with each segment shorter than the previous moving posteriorly; legs are robust; pedipalps are shorter in length than the carapace; length of the prosoma is nearly equivalent to that of the opisthosoma.

Remarks: Parilisthelyphonus differs from the other large Coal Measure whip scorpion genus, Prothelyphonus , in having more robust legs; shorter and significantly less spinose pedipalps; a pygidium with segments of unequal length; and a much larger carapace, nearly equal in length to the opisthosoma.

Occurrence: Pennsylvanian of the United States.