Arthropod Group |
Species Described from
the Rhynie chert |
Useful Texts |
General Features |
Palaeoecology |
Image |
Trigonotarbids |
Palaeocharinus rhyniensis
Palaeocharinus hornei
Palaeocharinus tuberculatus
*Palaeocteniza crassipes
|
Hirst 1923; Dunlop 1994, 1996b, Shear
et al. 1987; Selden
et al. 1991; Fayers
et al. 2004 |
Extinct arachnids similar in
appearance to spiders but lacking spinnerets and possessing a segmented
abdomen. |
Predator, living in
terrestrial habitats. Often found in plant-rich beds, occasionally
within empty sporangia and hollow plant stems. |

|
Harvestmen |
Eophalangium sheari
|
Dunlop
et al. 2003, 2004
|
Arachnids lacking a distinct
division between the head and body, with a segmented abdomen. Typically
possess a small ovoid body with long slender legs. |
Predator / saprovore /
detritivore, living in damp terrestrial habitats, mostly in plant
litter. |
 |
Mites |
Protacarus crani
Protospeleorchestes pseudoprotacarus
Pseudoprotacarus scoticus
Palaeotydeus devonicus
Paraprotocarus hirsti
|
Hirst 1923; Dubinin 1962; Bernini 1986 |
Very small arachnids that
lack a distinct division between the head and the body and have a
smooth abdomen. |
Micro-herbivore / saprovore,
living in damp terrestrial habitats, primarily in plant litter and
soil. Some probably also fed on sap from living plants. Occasionally
found within empty sporangia. |
 |
Myriapods |
Crussolum sp. |
Shear et al. 1998; Anderson & Trewin 2003 |
A centipede similar to the modern house
centipede, possessing strong poison jaws or 'forcipules', long antennae
and 15 pairs of long multi-segmented walking legs.
|
Active predator, living in
damp terrestrial habitats, such as in soils, plant litter and under
stones. |
 |
Leverhulmia mariae |
Anderson
& Trewin 2003 |
A small myriapodous arthropod with at
least 5 pairs of walking legs, each with densely crowded hairs or setae
on the posterior of the last (tarsal) segment.
|
Saprovore / detritivore,
living in damp terrestrial habitats, most probably in plant litter. |
 |
Hexapods |
Rhyniella praecursor |
Hirst & Maulik 1926; Tillyard 1928; Scourfield 1940a,b; Whalley & Jarzembowski 1981 |
A springtail (Collembola), with 3 pairs
of legs, an abdomen of 6 segments, possessing a furcula or jumping
organ on the 4th abdominal segment and a curious ventral tube on the
1st abdominal segment.
|
Saprovore, living in damp
terrestrial habitats, particularly in plant litter and soil. |
 |
Rhyniognatha hirsti |
Hirst & Maulik 1926, Tillyard 1928, Engel & Grimaldi 2004 |
The earliest known pterygote insect.
Known only from the fragmentary mouthparts of one specimen, comprising
a pair of robust mandibles with bladed tooth-like structures. Although
fossil evidence is so far lacking, Rhyniognatha may have
possessed primitive wings.
|
Comparing the jaws with
those of modern insects, Rhyniognatha may have fed on higher
plant tissues. |
 |
Crustaceans |
Lepidocaris rhyniensis |
Scourfield 1926 1940c |
A small multi-segmented crustacean with
10 pairs of biramous leaf-like trunk appendages, long biramous antennae
with plumose setae and lacking a cephalic shield in adults. Maxillae
modified and look like the first 2 pairs of trunk limbs.
|
Micro-herbivore /
detritivore, living in ephemeral freshwater ponds. |
 |
Castracollis wilsonae |
Fayers
& Trewin 2003 |
8mm long, multisegmented crustacean.
Thorax of up to 26 somites, each bearing legs. Up to 28 apodous
abdominal segments. 2 series of thoracic legs. Anterior series: 11
pairs of long raptorial legs. Posterior series: 10-15 pairs of smaller
phyllopodous legs. Head with large mandibles and long, symmetrical,
biramous second antennae.
|
Similar to modern Tadpole
Shrimps - detritivore / carnivore, living in ephemeral freshwater ponds. |
 |
Euthycarcinoids |
Heterocrania rhyniensis |
Hirst & Maulik 1926; Anderson & Trewin 2003 |
Multi-segmented arthropod
sharing features with crustaceans and myriapods. Body comprises 5 large
dorsal segments, each with 2 corresponding ventral segments that bear a
pair of multi-segmented legs. |
Micro-herbivore /
detritivore, living in ephemeral freshwater ponds. |
 |
Arthropoda incertae
sedis |
Rhynimonstrum dunlopi |
Anderson
& Trewin 2003 |
Articulated tubular segments of cuticle,
the leading edge of each with a ring of sockets for spines or setae.
Sometimes associated with sheets of punctate cuticle and clusters of
long robust setae.
|
Unknown |
 |