The genera Tarsotomus and
Paratarsotomus are revised and keys to species of both
genera and to instars of Tarsotomus are provided.
Absoloniana, Anandia,
Parabsolonia and Paranandia are
made new junior synonyms of Tarsotomus and 17 new
species of Tarsotomus are described:
T. abruptus, T. aiolos,
T. aleantis, T. ambitus,
T. anubis, T. argillus,
T. colossus, T. comosus,
T. desertorus, T. dianellus,
T. dioxis, T. heliophilus,
T. primitivus, T. pusillus,
T. pygmaeus, T. solatus, and
T. velopes. All of these new species except
T. primitivus belong to the new abruptus group which has
been found only in Australia. The type species of
Tarsotomus, T. hercules, is
redescribed from type material and from newly collected specimens and is
recorded from France, Iran and the Ukraine for the first time.
Absoloniana diversipes is found to be a new junior
synonym of T. hercules and records of this species from
Switzerland and Greece are shown to be based on misidentifications. The
species T. behningii, T. callunae,
T. macropalpis and T. sabulosus
are assigned to Paratarsotomus.
Tarsotomus rackae is found to be a new junior synonym of
Paratarsotomus sabulosus which is recorded from Germany
and the Ukraine for the first time. Observations on reproductive behaviour
were made for five Tarsotomus species. All of these
produce stalked spermatophores, which are often deposited on top of one
another. The prelarvae of two species of Tarsotomus were
studied and for both were found to be motile. Warm, dry and sparsely covered
habitats are found to be typical for Tarsotomus many
species of which are active on hot surfaces but lie inactively on their dorsum
at room temperature.