Maltese palpigrade

Eukoenenia christiani
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Palpigradi
Family:	Eukoeneniidae
Genus:	Eukoenenia
Species:	E. christiani
Binomial name
Eukoenenia christiani Condé, 1988 [1]

The Maltese palpigrade (known as Il-Palpigrad ta' Malta in Maltese), endemic to the Maltese Islands, comes from the Order Palpigradi, a rather primitive order of arachnids. There are 80 species of palpigrade worldwide (see the article Palpigradi). They are small and eyeless with a long tail-like structure.^[2]

Discovery

The Maltese palpigrade was first discovered in 1988 when a specimen was found in a cave in the Girgenti Valley (Malta).^[2] Since then, no news of another specimen has been heard of making the Maltese palpigrade a very rare species.^[2]

General features

The Maltese palpigrade is 1.2 millimetres (0.047 in) long, and is depicted as having a light brown colouring.^[2]

See also

• Endemic Maltese wildlife

References

1. ^ Mark S. Harvey (2003). "Order Palpigradi Thorell". Catalogue of the smaller arachnid orders of the world: Amblypygi, Uropygi, Schizomida, Palpigradi, Ricinulei and Solifugae. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 151–174. ISBN 9780643068056. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Wildlife of the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust, 1995