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Thelyphonida Blanchard, 1852, also known as vinegaroons or whip-scorpions, is a small arachnid order with 140 described species contained in a single family, Thelyphonidae Lucas, 1835. Despite being conspicuous and widely distributed across the tropics and subtropics on four continents, knowledge of the order has been slow to advance. Hypoctoninae Pocock, 1899, one of four subfamilies currently recognized and one of two represented in the New World, comprises five genera. Since its inception, Thelyphonellus Pocock, 1894 has remained the only hypoctonine genus occurring in South America, with only four species described prior to the present contribution. The first detailed morphological study and phylogenetic analysis of Thelyphonellus is presented herein. The morphological phylogenetic analysis-the first for Thelyphonida-includes all except one of the previously described species of Thelyphonellus in addition to two new species described herein; the species of Ravilops Víquez and Armas, 2005 (from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola); and the monotypic Old World genus Etienneus Heurtault, 1984 (from West Africa) scored for 45 morphological characters. A single, most parsimonious phylogenetic hypothesis revealed that Thelyphonellus is paraphyletic with respect to Ravilops . The New World Hypoctoninae comprises four clades with disjunct distributions and well supported by a combination of morphological characteristics, on the basis of which four genera, two of which are new, are recognized: Ravilops , with two species, endemic to Hispaniola; Thelyphonellus , herein restricted to Thelyphonellus amazonicus (Butler, 1872) and Thelyphonellus ruschii Weygoldt, 1979, occurring in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil; Wounaan , gen. n. , containing Wounaan vanegasae (Giupponi and Vasconcelos, 2008), comb. n. and Wounaan yarigui , sp. n. from Colombia; and Yekuana , gen. n. , containing Yekuana venezolensis (Haupt, 2009), comb. n. and Yekuana wanadi , sp. n. from Venezuela. The two new species are described and illustrated. A key to the identification of the Neotropical genera of Hypoctoninae and a map plotting the known distribution of its species are also presented.

A new solifuge species in the genus Gaucha Mello-Leitão, 1924 and the ibirapemussu species-group is herein described based on males and females collected at Itacuruba, State of Pernambuco, and Jaicós, State of Piauí, both in Northeastern Brazil. Males of the new species can be readily recognized by having the movable finger MM and MSM teeth reduced and of similar size. The present finding raises to twelve the number of described species in the genus, five of which belong to the ibirapemussu species-group. Besides, a new locality record for the species Gaucha ibirapemussu (Carvalho et al., 2010) is here presented, along with an updated identification key for all Gaucha species.

Two new species in the South American sun-spider family Mummuciidae are herein described. Gaucha ramirezi sp. nov. is known from the Chancaní Provincial Park and Forest Reserve, Córdoba province, Argentina, and further reported for a single locality to the northeast, in Santiago del Estero province. The systematic position of this species is uncertain and it is not assigned to any species-group of Gaucha Mello-Leitão, 1924. The other species, Gaucha santana sp. nov., is only known from the Ibirapuitã Environmental Protection Area, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, and is a member of the fasciata species-group. With these descriptions, the number of known species of Gaucha is raised to eleven.

We describe a new scorpion species in the troglomorphic genus Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981 from Colombia. Troglotayosicus meijdeni sp. nov. inhabits the forest leaf litter at Rivera municipality, on the western slope of the Eastern Andes. The male of the new species remains unknown; however, this species can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the female (and juvenile) morphology. The type locality of T. meijdeni sp. nov. represents the northernmost known record for a population of Troglotayosicus, further extending the known limits of distribution of this genus, and shedding more light on the distributional range of this group of scorpions in northwestern South America. With this description, the number of known species of Troglotayosicus is raised to four; three of them are endogean species living in forested areas in the Andean region of Colombia, whereas one is a hypogean species from a cave in Ecuadorian Amazonia.

A new ricinuleid species, Cryptocellus chimaera sp. nov., is described based on a male specimen from Northwest Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Reserva Ecológica Mache-Chindul, Estación Biológica Bilsa). This species is unique among all Cryptocellus in having very large longitudinal carapacial translucent areas together with a markedly incrassate femur of leg II. Representing only the second species of the order described from Ecuador, C. chimaera sp. nov. is assigned to the magnus species-group of Cryptocellus Westwood, 1874. Cryptocellus chimaera sp. nov. is remarkable, for its morphology resembles that of Cryptocellus magnus Ewing, 1929, especially with regard to the male copulatory apparatus, although both resemble Pseudocellus Platnick, 1980, due to the presence of diffuse longitudinal carapacial translucent areas. Along with the new species description, a comparative diagnosis and supplementary images are provided for C. magnus. Based on direct observations of some species belonging to the five species-groups of Cryptocellus, we discuss on the occurrence of different morphologies of carapacial translucent areas within the genus. We deem it important to continue the survey of morphological characters, especially within Cryptocellus, in order to increase our understanding of the species-groups and to unravel their relationships.

Autotomy, the voluntary shedding or detachment of a body part at a determined cleavage plane, is a common anti-predation defense mechanism in several animal taxa, including arthropods. Among arachnids, autotomy has been observed in harvestmen, mites, and spiders, always involving the loss of legs. Autotomy of the opisthosoma (abdomen) was recently reported in a single species of the Neotropical buthid scorpion genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891, but few details were revealed. Based on observations in the field and laboratory, examination of material in museum collections, and scanning electron microscopy, we document autotomy of the metasoma (the hind part of the opisthosoma, or 'tail') in fourteen species of Ananteris. Autotomy is more common in males than females, and has not been observed in juveniles. When the scorpion is held by the metasoma, it is voluntarily severed at the joints between metasomal segments I and II, II and III, or III and IV, allowing the scorpion to escape. After detachment, the severed metasoma moves (twitches) automatically, much like the severed tail of a lizard or the severed leg of a spider, and reacts to contact, even attempting to sting. The severed surface heals rapidly, scar tissue forming in five days. The lost metasomal segments and telson cannot be regenerated. Autotomy of the metasoma and telson results in permanent loss of the posterior part of the scorpion's digestive system (the anus is situated posteriorly on metasomal segment V) and the ability to inject venom by stinging. After autotomy, scorpions do not defecate and can only capture small prey items. However, males can survive and mate successfully for up to eight months in the laboratory. In spite of diminished predation ability after autotomy, survival allows males to reproduce. Autotomy in Ananteris therefore appears to be an effective, adaptive, anti-predation escape mechanism.

Mummucina Roewer, 1934 is the second largest genus in the South American sun-spider family Mummuciidae. The limits of this and other genera are largely unexplored, and the traditional classification system is controversial. In the present contribution, the type species Mummucina titschacki Roewer, 1934 is redescribed, aided by scanning electron micrographs and the examination of a series of 72 specimens (including males) from the type locality in Ecuador. Some taxonomic remarks are made.

Cryptocellus sofiae sp. nov. is described based on males and females obtained from the easternmost part of Colombia, in Vichada Department. The new species is placed in the adisi species-group, based on the morphology of the male copulatory apparatus and the presence of polygonal (navicular or calyx-like) setae. With this addition, the group now comprises four species. A key for the identification of the members of this group is provided. Some taxonomic remarks about the adisi group and the genus Cryptocellus Westwood, 1874 are made.

A new scorpion species, Tityus (Tityus) grottoedensis sp. nov., is herein described based on male and female specimens collected in El Edén Cave and its vicinities (Tolima department, Colombia). The new species, which becomes the first scorpion described from a Colombian cave, is probably a eutroglophile or subtroglophile element; however, additional studies are needed to determine the degree of association of the species to the cave. Among other features, the new species is characterized by having a relatively thin body, a yellow-to-chestnut coloration, sternites IV to VI with visible lateral longitudinal carinae, and the basal piece of the middle lamella of the pectines dilated in male and female.

Two new scorpion species, Ananteris faguasi sp. nov. and Ananteris volschenki sp. nov., are described from the eastern extreme of El Tuparro Natural National Park, eastern Colombia near the border with Venezuela. These new species are the first of the genus to be known from Vichada department, and represent the easternmost records in the country. With their description, the number of known species of Ananteris is raised to 64, ten of which are present in Colombia. A map with the known distribution of the Colombian species of Ananteris is presented.