in-cyprus 11 July 2025
Researchers have confirmed the presence of a living tailless whip scorpion species on Cyprus after seven years of dedicated searches across the Mediterranean island, according to a study published in the Biodiversity Data Journal.
A single adult specimen of Sarax ioanniticus was found on a garden wall in Pissouri village in July 2023, marking the first confirmed living discovery of the species on Cyprus since carcasses were found more than 30 years ago.
The discovery follows extensive searches of caves, abandoned wells, sewer outlets and shaded garden walls across the island by researchers equipped with flashlights targeting habitats with high relative humidity.
Boris Sket first discovered tailless whip scorpion carcasses on limestone near a monastery on Cyprus in 1990, but collected no live specimens and the species was never recorded again until the recent finding.
“Amblypygi, commonly known as tailless whip scorpions or whip spiders, is an order of Arachnida noted for its cryptic habits and predominantly tropical and subtropical distribution,” the study states.
The captured specimen was maintained for three days in a ventilated terrarium with coconut fibre substrate, dry leaf litter, rocks and was provided water, moisture and small mealworms and cockroaches as food. After the animal died naturally, researchers confirmed its species identification through physical trait analysis.
Sarax ioanniticus, first identified in 1959, is characterised by thin and elongated first pair of legs and flattened bodies. The nocturnal predators primarily feed on insects and small invertebrates, using sensory organs in their front legs for prey detection rather than locomotion.
The research team comprised Michael Hadjiconstantis, Matthew Stephen Smith and Christos Zoumides.
(Source: Miami Herald)
