Although it resembles a scorpion living in the desert, it lacks a stinger, thus being called a 'false scorpion' (Pseudoscorpion). Four new species of this arachnid have been discovered in Gangwon Province. This is a research result that demonstrates the diversity of the cave ecosystem in Korea.
Professor Kim So-ra and her research team from Jeonbuk National University published their findings on six species of false scorpions found in caves in Gangwon Province in the international journal 'PLOS One' on the 10th. Among these, four species are newly identified.
The false scorpion looks similar to scorpions that inhabit the desert, but it does not have a poisonous tail. Unlike desert scorpions, false scorpions prefer dark, humid environments and are mainly found in caves. The official name is 'Pseudoscorpion.'
The false scorpion is distributed across East Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan. It is known that a total of 28 species inhabit Korea, but only five species have been found in caves. With the discovery of four new species by the research team from Jeonbuk National University, the number of cave false scorpions has increased to nine species. Compared to China, where hundreds of species of false scorpions have been found only in caves, research in Korea is still relatively limited.
The researchers believe that since there are hundreds of unexplored caves in the country, more false scorpions can be discovered. The false scorpions found this time are orange or brown in color, most of them lacking eyes and catching prey using their strong jaws.
False scorpions can be divided into two major lineages: the basal lineage, which is sedentary and only found in its original habitat, and the modern lineage, which is more active and can travel by riding on other animals or building its own burrow.
The researchers also conducted an analysis of the genetic lineage of the false scorpions discovered this time. The false scorpions living in the caves of Gangwon Province are genetically close to those in Japan. The researchers offered two interpretations: First, false scorpions might have been widely distributed across East Asia before the Sea of Japan was formed, approximately 28 million to 13 million years ago. Alternatively, they speculated that false scorpions may have traveled on other organisms when sea levels were still low.
The researchers emphasized the importance of protecting the cave ecosystem where false scorpions live. They cited the extinction of a type of beetle, the Cheongpung longhorn beetle, which was only found in Cheongpung cave in Chungbuk Province. The researchers noted, "Cave pollution and destruction is, unfortunately, a common issue in Korea," adding that "the diversity of cave organisms is not properly valued in actual nature conservation efforts. Surveys of cave biota, along with modeling for conservation, are needed."
References
PLOS One (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325375