108 FALSE-SCORPIONS 



rulae are fixed throughout their length to the cheHceral fingers and 

 those whose cheHcerae are inactive during feeding. At the same 

 time it is possible that the possession of partially free serrulae in 

 Neohisium and Chthonius is associated with the maintenance of a 

 liquid film between the false-scorpion and its prey, despite the 

 fact that the chelicerae are moving. 



Enemies 



Owing to their secretive habits, false-scorpions have few enemies 

 although Levi (1948) has recorded that they may be eaten by ants. 

 They do not often fall victim to spiders: their poison-bearing 

 pedipalps help them to hold their own against species of their own 

 size, whilst they are likely to remain unnoticed by many spiders of 

 a larger size. They do not appear to be distasteful however, and 

 Bristowe (1941)* has fed Chthonius ischnocheles and Lamprochernes 

 nodosus to a number of spider species. They may also be eaten by 

 harvest-spiders (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1955). 



With the exception of six nematode worms of the genus Hexa- 

 meris found in a female Roncus sp. whose ovaries were atrophied, 

 no parasites of pseudoscorpions are known. 



Mating habits 



In male false-scorpions the galea or spinneret on the movable 

 finger of the chelicerae is poorly developed compared with that of 

 the female; the abdominal tergites may be provided with strong 

 lateral keels as in Chelifer cancroides and the claws of the pedipalps 

 are more robust and have a wider gape. Lateral genital sacs are 

 present under the genital operculum close to the genital aperture. 

 In some species these are capable of being extruded. They reach 

 their highest development in the Cheliferidae where they can be 

 completely evaginated and constitute the 'ram's-horn organs' of 

 many authors, a term proposed by Menge. 



The pairing of Dendrochernes cyrneus and Dactylochelifer latreil- 

 lei has been described by Kew (1914). The males are differently 

 equipped: D. latreillei has an elaborate genital area, long ram's- 

 horn organs and much modified legs of the first pair, while D. 

 cyrneus has a less elaborate genital area, no ram's-horn organs and 

 no modified legs. Both are destitute of intromittent organs of 



