| Garypus titanius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Pseudoscorpiones |
| Family: | Garypidae |
| Genus: | Garypus |
| Species: | G. titanius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Garypus titanius Beier, 1961[1]
| |
Garypus titanius, the giant pseudoscorpion, is the largest species of pseudoscorpion—small, scorpion-looking creatures—in the world. Critically endangered, it is restricted to Boatswain Bird Island, a small rocky island off Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.[2] Pseudoscorpions are venomous arachnids (a group that includes spiders, ticks, and scorpions) and are generally tiny—around 3 mm (.1 in) long.[3] The giant pseudoscorpion, though, can grow to five times that size at 11 mm (.5 in).[4] It lives among seabird colonies, feeding mainly at night on smaller prey such as insects.[5] It belongs to the Garypidae family.[6]
The giant pseudoscorpion is threatened by non-native insects and animals, such as mice. It has died out on the larger Ascension Island, a remote volcanic island and British overseas territory that was discovered in 1501.