Biogeography, systematic position, and reproduction of Charinus ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959) with the description of a new species from Pakistan (Chelicerata, Amblypygi, Charinidae)

Charimus ioanniticus (KRITSCHER 1959) has been reported from the countries around the eastern border of the Mediterranean, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt. The Greek population, from the islands Rhodes and Kos, is an all-female population that most likely reproduces parthenogenetically. Redescriptions of C. ioanniticus, C. bengalensis GRAVELY 1911 from India and of C. abbatei DELLE CAVE 1986 from Somalia are presented, and Charinus pakistanus n. sp. from Pakistan (holotype male in MHNG, Geneva) is described. Morphologically, C. ioanniticus is most closely related to C. socotranus WEYGOLDT, POHL & POLAK 2002 and C. bengalensis. These species are members of the natural C. bengalensis species group or Charinides group, which ranges from India over Pakistan and Turkey to Greece and Socotra. C. dhofarensis WEYGOLDT, POHL & POLAK 2002 from the Arabian Peninsula and C. abbatei from Somalia are not related to this group. The question of the enigmatic Sarax mediterraneits DELLE CAVE 1986 is also addressed: it may finally turn out to be based on mislabelled specimens and be a junior synonym of one of the earlier described species of Sarax.