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The amblypygid (whip spider) genus Damon is revised. Ten species and one subspecies are recognised, all of them live in Africa. The best and easiest characters to distinguish species are discussed The ten species can be divided into two groups. The four species of the western group are confined to West Africa. They are large (formerly Titanodamon), mostly with plesiomorphic characters.
They probably envolved in rain forests. Only Damon medius also inhabits savannah-like hatibats. The eastern group or Damon variegatus species group contains 6 species which are distributed from East Africa to South Africa and Namibia. Most of these species are smaller and capable of surviving in dryer habitats by hiding underground, in deep crevices or caves. Only Damon gracilis is active under xeric conditions. The western group is paraphyletic; Damon medius is hypothesised to be the sister group of the monophyletic Damon variegatus species group.
1. Introduction
2. History of the genus Damon and the "Damonidae" 2
3. Material and Methods 3
Material 3
The species concept 3
Characters used 3
4. Results 4
Damon C. L. Koch, 1850 4
Key to the species of Damon 4
4.1 The western group of species 5
Damon johnstonii Pocock, 1894 5
Damon medius (Herbst, 1797) 10
Damon tibalis (Simon, 1876) 14
Damon uncinatus nov. spec. 16
4.2 The eastern group of Damon variegatus species group 18
Damon brachialis nov. spec. 18
Damon diadema (Simon, 1876) 18
Damon gracilis Weygoldt, 1998 24
Damon longispinatus nov. spec. 28
"Damon variegatus (Perty, 1834)" 30
Damon annulatipes (Wood, 1869) 30
Damon variegatus (Perty, 1834) 35
5. List of synonyms 37
6. Discussion 38
7. Biogeography 42
8. Conclusions 43
9. Acknowledgements 44
10. References 44
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