2024 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, trilobites, and other arthropods (except insects, which have their own list) that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2024.
Chelicerates Arachnids Araneae NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesAcanthomacrotheleGen. et 3 sp. novWang et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Macrothelidae. Genus includes new species A. pauciverrucae, A. geminata and A. longicaudata.Anameta tertiaSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A possible long-jawed orb weaver.?Bararaneus rotundusSp. novValidWunderlichEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)An orb-weaver spider. The spelling ?Baltaraneus rotundus is used in the paper naming it, but the discussion of its relationships tentatively refers it to the genus Bararaneus.BreviscaudaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA tree trunk spider. The type species is B. translucens.Lineaburmops longiantepesSp. novGuo, Selden & Ren in Guo et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Lagonomegopidae.Lineaburmops rhombusSp. novGuo et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA spider belonging to the family Lagonomegopidae.Longissipalpus albistriatusSp. novValidHou et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Pholcochyroceridae.MengesiliaGen. et sp. novValidWunderlichEoceneRovno amberA tree trunk spider. The type species is M. rovnoensis.Myrmarachne colombianaSp.novPoinarQuaternaryColombian AmberAn ant-mimick spider. Originally described as a species of Myrmarachne; Perger (2024) transferred it to the genus Myrmecium.Parvosegestria elegansSp. novValidWunderlichCretaceousBurmese amberA possible tube-dwelling spider.Pedipalparaneus protumidusSp. novValidHou et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA spider belonging to the family Pholcochyroceridae.Pholcophora gregorioiSp. novGarcía-Villafuerte, Carbot-Chanona & Gómez-PérezMioceneMexican amberA species of Pholcophora.
Araneological research Córdova-Tabares et al. (2024) describe a sac spider specimen from the Mexican amber preserved with an ant belonging to the genus Azteca, providing evidence of a fossil spider showing trapping and feeding behavior seen also in its extant relatives.
Ixodida NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImages Deinocroton bicornisSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA tick belonging to the family Nuttalliellidae.Deinocroton lacrimusSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA tick belonging to the family Nuttalliellidae.LegionarisGen. et sp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA tick belonging to the family Nuttalliellidae. The type species is L. robustus.Nuttalliella grataeSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA species of Nuttalliella.Nuttalliella odysseaSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA species of Nuttalliella.Nuttalliella placaventralaSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA species of Nuttalliella.Nuttalliella tropicasylvaeSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA species of Nuttalliella.Nuttalliella tuberculataSp. novValidChitimia-Dobler, Dunlop & Mans in Chitimia-Dobler et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA species of Nuttalliella.
Opiliones NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImages?Leiobunum messelenseSp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & WedmannEoceneMessel pitPossibly a species of Leiobunum.?Leiobunum schaaliSp. novValidBartel, Dunlop & WedmannEoceneMessel pitPossibly a species of Leiobunum.
Opiliones research Gainett et al. (2024) report that extant daddy longlegs have six eyes, including four vestigial ones, and reevaluate the affinities of fossil members of Opiliones with four eyes, resulting in older estimated ages of harvestman diversification.
Pseudoscorpiones NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesCretogarypinusGen. et sp. novValidSánchez-García et al.Early Cretaceous (Albian)Escucha FormationA member of the family Garypinidae. The type species is C. zaragozai.GeogaranyaGen. et sp. novValidAgnihotri et al.EoceneCambay BasinA member of the family Geogarypidae. The type species is G. valiyaensis.Hya fynniSp. novValidRöschmann et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA member of the family Hyidae.Hysterochelifer manpauchSp. novCórdova-Tabares et al.MioceneMexican amberA member of the family Cheliferidae.IthioreolpiumGen. et sp. novValidSánchez-García et al.Early Cretaceous (Albian)Escucha FormationA member of the family Garypinidae. The type species is I. alavensis.
Sarcoptiformes NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesCollohmannia albertiiSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia clavataSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia groehniSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia kerneggeriSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia nortoniSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia sellnickiSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.Collohmannia weiterschaniSp. novValidKolesnikov, Vorontsov & SidorchukEoceneBaltic amberEurope (Baltic Sea region)A member of Oribatida belonging to the family Collohmanniidae.
Schizomida
Schizomid research A study on changes of body size and shape diversity of male flagella in Schizomida throughout their evolutionary history is published by Belojević et al. (2024).
Scorpiones NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesBetaburmesebuthus thomasvelteniSp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA member of Buthoidea belonging to the family PalaeoburmesebuthidaeBurmesescorpiops velteniSp. novValidLourençoCretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Palaeoeuscorpiidae.Chaerilobuthus petersiSp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Chaerilobuthidae or Pseudochactidae.Chaerilobuthus staxiSp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Chaerilobuthidae or Pseudochactidae.ParanotaburmesebuthusGen. et sp. novValidLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA member of Buthoidea belonging to the family Palaeoburmesebuthidae. The type species is P. schmidti.SerratochaerilobuthusGen. et sp. novDisputedLourenço in Lourenço & VeltenCretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Chaerilobuthidae or Pseudochactidae. The type species is S. schmidti. Xuan et al. (2025) considered the genus Serratochaerilobuthus to be a junior synonym of the genus Chaerilobuthus, though the authors maintained S. schmidti as a distinct species within the latter genus.
Scorpion research Review of the higher classification of fossil scorpions is published by Dunlop & Garwood (2024) . Lourenço & Velten (2024) report the discovery of pro-juvenile specimens of Betaburmesebuthus kobberti trapped together in a piece of Burmese amber, and interpret this finding as possible evidence that Cretaceous palaeoburmesebuthid scorpions produced litters with reduced number of offspring but including large pro-juveniles.
Trombidiformes NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesPararesinacarus krczaliSp. novValidKhaustov et al.EoceneRovno amberA mite belonging to the family Resinacaridae.Resinacarus longipilisSp. novValidKhaustov et al.EoceneRovno amberA mite belonging to the family Resinacaridae.Resinacarus striatusSp. novValidKhaustov et al.EoceneRovno amberA mite belonging to the family Resinacaridae.Resinacarus vitzthumiSp. novValidKhaustov et al.EoceneRovno amberA mite belonging to the family Resinacaridae.RhombometridiumGen. et sp. novValidKhaustov, Vorontsov & LindquistCretaceousBurmese amberA mite belonging to the family Trochometridiidae. The type species is R. pankowskiorum.
Trombidiform research Larvae of mites belonging to the group Erythraeoidea parasitising gall midges (providing evidence of an association unknown in extant fauna) are reported from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Arce et al. (2024), who interpret this finding as indicative of shift of the host range of the studied mites after the Cretaceous.
Uropygi NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesMesoproctus rayoliSp. novValidSantana et al.Early Cretaceous (Aptian—Albian)Crato FormationA whip scorpion belonging to the family Thelyphonidae.
Other arachnids NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesDouglassarachneGen. et sp. novValidSelden & DunlopCarboniferous (Pennsylvanian)Mazon Creek fossil beds()A member of Pantetrapulmonata of uncertain affinities. The type species is D. acanthopoda.
Other arachnid research A study on the mouthparts of members of the genus Palaeocharinus from the Rhynie chert (United Kingdom), providing evidence of the presence of a sophisticated mechanism for liquid feeding comparable to the filtration mechanisms of extant arachnids, is published by Long et al. (2024). A study on the structure of cuticles of Palaeocharinus, providing evidence of possible adaptations to terrestrial life, is published by Long et al. (2024).
Eurypterids NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesQujingopterusGen. et sp. novMa et al.DevonianXitun FormationA member of the family Stylonuridae. The type species is Q. spineus.
Eurypterid research A study on the evolution of eurypterid body size is published by Ruebenstahl et al. (2024), who find that giant size evolved independently in different eurypterid lineages, without clear relation to habitat or environmental drivers. Bicknell et al. (2024) describe new fossil material of Silurian and Devonian eurypterids from the Wallace Shale and Merrimerriwa Formation (Australia), extending known geographical range of Jaekelopterus into Gondwana. A diverse assemblage of eurypterid remains, including isolated setae and cuticular sheets with attached setae, is described from the Devonian Ora Formation (Iraq) by Makled et al. (2024). Braddy (2024) studies the life mode of carcinosomatoid eurypterids, interpreting them as slow-swimming ambush predators and mud grubbers, and interprets megalograptids as likely more basal than carcinosomatids and mixopterids. Bicknell, Gaines & Hopkins (2024) describe a carcinosomatid specimen from the Ordovician strata from the Beecher's Trilobite Bed (New York, United States) preserving the first evidence for mesosomal musculature in eurypterids, and providing evidence that eurypterid musculature can be preserved in pyrite. Poschmann & Tollerton (2024) describe a new specimen of Eysyslopterus patteni from the Silurian Rootsiküla/Saaremaa Lagerstätte (Estonia), providing information on the morphology of the metastoma of the studied eurypterid. Description of genital appendages of Acutiramus macrophthalmus is published by Cheng & Briggs (2024).
Xiphosurans Xiphosuran research