List of xiphosuran genera

This list of xiphosurans is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Xiphosura, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, genera that are no longer considered xiphosurans and misspellings. The list currently includes 54 names out of which 31 are considered valid xiphosuran genera.

As of 2019, there were around 80 extinct species of xiphosurans^[1] and 4 extant species of xiphosurans recognized as valid.

Naming conventions and terminology

There is no "official" or "canonical" list of xiphosuran genera. The closest thing is found contained in the regularly updated Summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives in the World Spider Catalog, which include just the extinct species. The vast majority or all of the content of the list below, including the valid genera, preoccupied names, junior synonyms, misspellings, taxonomical classifications and sites of discovery, is based upon the 2019 edition of the summary list.

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

• Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
• Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen.
• Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal.
• Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
• Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features.

Xiphosuran genera

  Valid genera

  Non-valid genera

† = Extinct

Genus Author(s) Year Status Age Location Notes †Alanops Racheboeuf 2002 Valid Carboniferous   France †Anacontium Raymond 1944 Valid Permian   United States †Archeolimulus Chlupáč 1963 Valid Middle Ordovician   Czech Republic †Austrolimulus Riek 1955 Valid Triassic   Australia †Belinuropsis Matthew 1910 Nomen dubium Carboniferous   Canada Too poorly preserved to be assigned to any particular arthropod group. †Belinurus Bronn 1839 Valid^[2] Carboniferous   Canada   England   United States   Ukraine   Wales †Bellinuroopsis Chernyshev 1933 Valid Devonian   Russia †Bellinurus Pictet 1846 Synonym N/A N/A Invalid name, Belinurus (Bronn, 1839) has priority.^[2] †Bifarius Tasch 1961 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an insect. Carcinoscorpius Pocock 1902 Valid ??? - present   India   Indonesia   Malaysia   Philippines   Singapore   Thailand †Casterolimulus Holland, Erickson & O’Brien 1975 Valid Cretaceous   United States †Crenatolimulus Feldmann, Schweitzer, Dattilo & Farlow 2011 Valid Cretaceous   United States †Dubbolimulus Pickett 1984 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Paleolimulus. †Elleria Raymond 1944 Valid Devonian   United States †Elmocephalus Tasch 1963 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, a crustacean? †Eolimulus Moberg 1892 Nomen dubium Cambrian   Sweden †Euproops Meek 1867 Valid Carboniferous - Permian?   England   France   Germany   South Korea   United States   Wales †Heterolimulus Via Boada & Villalta 1966 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Tachypleus. †Hypatocephala Tasch 1961 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an insect. †Kasibelinurus Pickett 1993 Valid Devonian   Australia   China †Koenigiella Raymond 1944 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Bellinurus. †Lemoneites Flower 1969 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an echinoderm. †Limulitella Størmer 1952 Valid Triassic - Jurassic   France   Germany   Madagascar   Netherlands   Russia   Tunisia †Limulites Schimper 1853 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Limulitella. Limulus Müller 1785 Valid Triassic - present   England   Germany   Mexico   Poland   United States †Liomesaspis Raymond 1944 Valid Carboniferous - Permian   Germany   United Kingdom   United States †Lophodesmus Tesakov & Alekseev 1992 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Maldybulakia. †Lunataspis Young & Nowlan 2008 Valid Ordovician   Canada †Maldybulakia Tesakov & Alekseev 1998 Valid Silurian   Australia   Kazakhstan †Mesolimulus Størmer 1952 Valid Triassic - Cretaceous   England   Germany   Russia   Spain †Neobelinuropsis Eller 1938 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Bellinuroopsis. †Palatinaspis Malz & Poschmann 1993 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Liomesaspis. †Paleolimulus Dunbar 1923 Valid Carboniferous - Triassic   Australia   Germany   Russia   United States   Ukraine †Panduralimulus Allen & Feldman 2005 Valid Permian   United States †Permolimulinella Tasch 1963 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an insect. †Pincombella Chapman 1932 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an insect. †Prestwichia Woodward 1867 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Euproops. †Prestwichianella Cockerell 1905 Replacement name N/A N/A Replacement name for Prestwichia. †Pringlia Raymond 1944 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Liomesaspis. †Prolimulus Frič 1899 Valid Carboniferous   Czech Republic †Psammolimulus Lange 1923 Valid Triassic   Germany †Rolfeia Waterston 1985 Valid Carboniferous   Scotland †Steropsis Baily 1869 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Bellinurus. †Strongylocephalus Tasch 1961 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an insect. Tachypleus Leach 1819 Valid Triassic - present   China   Indonesia   Japan   Lebanon   Malaysia   Philippines   South Korea   Spain   Taiwan   Vietnam †Tarracolimulus Romero & Via Boada 1977 Valid Triassic   Spain †Vaderlimulus Lerner, Lucas & Lockley 2017 Valid Triassic   United States †Valloisella Racheboeuf 1992 Valid Carboniferous   France †"Veltheimia" Beyschlag & von Fritsch 1899 Nomen nudum Carboniferous?   Germany †Victalimulus Riek & Gill 1971 Valid Cretaceous   Australia †Willwerathia Størmer 1969 Valid Devonian   Germany †Xaniopyramis Siveter & Selden 1987 Valid Carboniferous   England Xiphosura^[3] Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Limulus. †Xiphosuroides^[4] Shpinev & Vasilenko 2018 Valid Carboniferous   Russia †Yunnanolimulus Zhang, Hu, Zhou, Iv & Bai 2009 Valid Triassic   China		Austrolimulus fletcheri   Belinurus lunatus   Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda   Euproops danae   Limulus polyphemus   Mesolimulus walchi   Prestwichia anthrax   Tachypleus tridentatus

Xiphosuran ichnogenera

Genus Author(s) Year Status Age Location †Kouphichnium^[5] Nopcsa 1923 Valid Carboniferous - Jurassic   Argentina   England   France   Germany   Mexico   Poland   United States

See also

• List of eurypterid genera
• List of trilobite genera
• List of ammonite genera
• List of prehistoric malacostracans

References

1. Dunlop, J. A.; Penney, D.; Jekel, D. (2019). "A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives" (PDF). World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. pp. 1–296.
2. Lamsdell, James C.; Clapham, Matthew E. (2021). "Belinurus Bronn, 1839 (Chelicerata, Xiphosura) has priority over Bellinurus Pictet, 1846" (PDF). Journal of Paleontology. 95 (6): 1352–1355. doi:10.1017/jpa.2021.53.
3. Leif Størmer (July 1952). "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Fossil Horseshoe Crabs". Journal of Paleontology. 26 (4): 630–640. JSTOR 1299851.
4. E. S., Shpinev; D. V., Vasilenko (2018). "First Fossil Xiphosuran (Chelicerata, Xiphosura) Egg Clutch from the Carboniferous of Khakassia". Paleontological Journal. 52 (4): 400–404. doi:10.1134/S0031030118040111. S2CID 86861187.
5. Martin, Anthony J. . Archived from the original on 2015-03-22. Retrieved 2018-02-20.