William Albert Shear

William Albert Shear (born 1942), U.S. arachnologist and myriapodologist.

• Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, USA.

See CV

Taxon names authored

(List may be incomplete)

• 93 taxon names authored by William Albert Shear

Eponyms

(List may be incomplete)

• 1 eponym of William Albert Shear

Publications

(List may be incomplete)

1968

• Shear, W.A. 1968. A new genus and species of milliped from Illinois (Polydesmida, Euryuridae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 81: 479–484. BHL Reference page. 

1970

• Shear, W.A. 1970. The spider family Oecobiidae in North America, Mexico, and the West Indies. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 140(4): 129-164. Reference page. 

1971

• Shear, W.A. 1971. The milliped family Conotylidae in North America, with a Description of the new family Adritylidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumida). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 141(2): 55–97. BHL Reference page. 

1974

• Shear, W.A. 1974. New records of rare Opiliones (Arachnida) from West Virginia. Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science, Morgantown 44(1): 110-112. Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Benoit, P.L.G. 1974. New species and new records in the genus Oecobius Lucas from Africa and nearby islands (Araneae: Oecobiidae: Oecobiinae). Revue Zoologique Africaine 88: 706-720. Reference page. 

1975

• Shear, W.A. 1975. The opilionid family Caddidae in North America, with notes on species from other regions (Opiliones, Palpatores, Caddoidea). The Journal of Arachnology 2(2): 65–88. BHL Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1975. The opilionid genera Sabacon and Tomicomerus in America (Opiliones, Troguloidea, Ischyropsalidae). The Journal of Arachnology 3(1): 5–29. BHL Reference page. 

1977

• Shear, W.A. 1977 ["1975"]. The opilionid genus Neogovea Hinton, with a description of the first troglobitic cyphophthalmid from the Western hemisphere (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi). The Journal of Arachnology 3(3): 165–175. BHL Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1977 [1975]. Fumontana deprehendor, n. gen., n. sp., the first triaenonychid opilionid from eastern North America (Opiliones: Laniatores: Triaenonychidae). The Journal of Arachnology 3(3): 177–183. BHL Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1977. Millipeds (Diplopoda) from Caves in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. III. Problemi Attuali di Scienza e di Cultura 171(3): 235–265. Reference page. 

1978

• Shear, W.A. 1978. Taxonomic notes on the armored spiders of the families Tetrablemmidae and Pacullidae. American Museum Novitates 2650: 1–46. Reference page. 

1979

• Shear, W.A. 1979. Pahanga, a new tetrablemmid spider genus from Malaysia (Araneae, Tetrablemmidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 4: 294–295. Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1979a. Huitaca ventralis n. gen., n. sp., with a description of a gland complex new to cyphophthalmids (Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi). The Journal of Arachnology 7: 237–242. Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1979b. Stylocellus sedgwicki n. sp. from Penang Island, Malaysia (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmida, Stylocellidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 4(8): 356–360. Full article (PDF). Reference page. 

1980

• Shear, W.A. 1980. Leiobunum trimaculatum Goodnight and Goodnight is a synonym of L. bimaculatum Banks (Opiliones, Leiobunidae). The Journal of Arachnology 8(3): 284–285. Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1980. A review of the Cyphophthalmi of the United States and Mexico, with a proposed reclassification of the suborder (Arachnida, Opiliones). American Museum Novitates 2705: 1–34. Preview (PDF) Reference page. 

1983

• Shear, W.A. & Gruber, J. 1983. The opilionid subfamily Ortholasmatinae (Opiliones, Troguloidea, Nemastomatidae). American Museum Novitates 2757: 1–65. Preview (PDF). . Reference page. 

1986

• Shear, W.A. 1986. A cladistic analysis of the opilionid superfamily Ischyropsalidoidea, with description of the new family Ceratolasmatidae, the new genus Acuclavella and four new species. American Museum Novitates 2844: 1–29. BHL Reference page. 

1987

• Peck, S.B. & Shear, W.A. 1987. A new blind cavernicolous Lygromma (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from the Galápagos Islands. The Canadian Entomologist 119(2): 105-108. DOI: 10.4039/Ent119105-2. . Reference page. 

1988

• Shear, W.A. 1988. The Chordeumatid millipeds of Chile (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida). American Museum Novitates 2912: 1–10. hdl: 2246/5171 Reference page. 

1989

• Shear, W. A., Schawaller, W. & Bonamo, P. 1989. Record of Palaeozoic pseudoscorpions. Nature 341(6242): 527–529. Reference page.  

1991

• Schawaller, W., Shear, W.A. & Bonamo, P.M., 1991. The first Paleozoic Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionida). American Museum Novitates 3009: 1–17. Reference page.  

1992

• Shear, W.A. 1992. Golovatchia, new genus, and Golovatchiidae, new family, from the Far East of the Russian Republic, with a comment on Hoffmaneumatidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida). Myriapodologica 2(10): 63–72. Reference page. 

1993

• Shear, W.A. 1993a. New species in the opilionid genus Stylocellus from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Stylocellidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 9(6): 174–188. Full article (PDF). Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1993. The genus Chileogovea (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Petallidae). The Journal of Arachnology 21(1): 73–78. BHL Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 1993. The genus Troglosiro and the new family Troglosironidae (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi). The Journal of Arachnology 21(2): 81–90. BHL Reference page. 

1996

• Shear, W.A. & Gruber, J. 1996. Cyphophthalmid opilionids new to Madagascar: two new genera (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, ?Pettalidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 10(5): 181–186. Preview (PDF) Reference page. 

2000

• Wilson, H.M. & Shear, W.A. 2000. Microdecemplicida, a new order of minute arthropleurideans (Arthropoda: Myriapoda) from the Devonian of New York State, U.S.A. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 90(4) (for 1999): 351–375. DOI: 10.1017/S0263593300002674 . ResearchGate . Reference page. 

2002

• Shear, W.A. 2002. The millipede genus Metopidiothrix Attems (Diplopoda : Chordeumatida : Metopidiotrichidae). Invertebrate Systematics 16(6): 849–892. DOI: 10.1071/IS02005 Reference page. 

2003

• Shear, W.A., Shelley, R.M. & Heatwole, H. 2003. Occurrence of the milliped Sinocallipus simplipodicus Zhang, 1993 in Laos, with reviews of the Southeast Asian and global callipodidan faunas, and remarks on the phylogenetic position of the order (Callipodida: Sinocallipodidea: Sinocallipodidae). Zootaxa 365: 1–20. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 
• Sierwald, P., Shear, W.A., Shelley, R.M. & Bond, J.E. 2003. Millipede phylogeny revisited in the light of the enigmatic order Siphoniulida. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 41: 87–99. Oxford Reference page. 

2004

• Shear, W.A. & Shelley, R.M. 2004. Introduction of the milliped, Cleidogona nantahala Shear, in New England, U.S.A. (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Cleidogonidae). Entomological News 115(2): 71–77. Reference page. 

2006

• Shear, W.A. 2006. Martensolasma jocheni, a new genus and species of harvestman from Mexico (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae: Ortholasmatinae). Zootaxa 1325: 191–198. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 

2007

• McCartney, J., Shear, W.A. & Stringer, I. 2007. New records of Acropsopilio neozealandiae (Forster), and remarks on the sexual status of the species (Arachnida: Opiliones: Caddidae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 34(2): 117–123. DOI: 10.1080/03014220709510070 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Shelley, R.M. 2007. Tingupa tlingitorum, n. sp, a new milliped from Haines, Alaska, USA, with notes on the generic distribution and a revised key to species (Chordeumatida: Tingupidae). Zootaxa 1393: 53–59. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Shelley, R.M. 2007. The milliped genus Tidesmus Chamberlin, 1943 (Polydesmida: Macrosternodesmidae). Zootaxa 1656: 51–68. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 

2008

• Selden, P.A., Shear, W.A. & Sutton, M.D. 2008. Fossil evidence for the origin of spider spinnerets, and a proposed arachnid order. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105(52): 20781–20785. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0809174106 . Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Derkarabetian, S. 2008. Nomenclatorial changes in Triaenonychidae: Sclerobunus parvus Roewer is a junior synonym of Paranonychus brunneus (Banks), Mutusnonychus Suzuki is a junior synonym of Paranonychus Briggs, and Kaolinonychinae Suzuki is a junior synonym of Paranonychinae Briggs (Opiliones: Triaenonychidae). Zootaxa 1809: 67–68. Abstract & excerpt . Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Shelley, R.M. 2008. Cave millipeds of the United States. VI. Sequoiadesmus krejcae, n. gen, n. sp, from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, USA (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidea, Macrosternodesmidae). Zootaxa 1693: 41–48. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2008. Deletions from the North American harvestman (Opiliones) faunal list: Phalangomma virginicum Roewer, 1949 is a synonym of Erebomaster weyerensis (Packard, 1888) (Travunioidea: Cladonychiidae), and a note on “Crosbycus” goodnightorum Roewer, 1951 (Nemastomatidae). Zootaxa 1945: 67–68. Abstract & excerpt Reference page. 

2010

• Shear, W.A. 2010. New species and records of ortholasmatine harvestmen from México, Honduras, and the western United States (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae, Ortholasmatinae). ZooKeys 52: 9–45. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.52.471 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2010. Hesperonemastoma smilax, n. sp., a remarkable new harvestman from a cave in West Virginia, with comments on other reported cave-dwelling Hesperonemastoma species (Opiliones, Ischyropsalidoidea, Sabaconidae). Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 72(2): 105–110. Reference page. 
• Giribet, G. & Shear, W.A. 2010. The genus Siro Latreille, 1796 (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Sironidae) in North America with a phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data and the description of four new species. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 160(1): 1–33. DOI: 10.3099/0027-4100-160.1.1 Preview (PDF). Reference page. 

2011

• Shear, W.A. 2011. Class Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844. Pp 159–164 In Zhang, Z.-Q. (ed.) 2011. Animal biodiversity: an outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. Open access. Reference page. . (PDF) Reference page. 

2016

• Marek, P.E., Krejca, J.K. & Shear, W.A. 2016. A new species of Illacme Cook & Loomis, 1928 from Sequoia National Park, California, with a world catalog of the Siphonorhinidae (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida). ZooKeys 626: 1–43. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.626.9681 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2016. Redescription of the South African millipede Cylichnogaster lawrencei Verhoeff, 1937 and notes on the family Siphonotidae (Diplopoda, Polyzoniida). Zootaxa 4079(1): 119–128. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4079.1.8. Full article (PDF)Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2016. New Canadian records of Nemastoma bimaculatum (Fabricius), and a brief summary of introduced Eurasian harvestmen in North America (Arachnida, Opiliones). Zootaxa 4088(1): 139–140. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4088.1.7. Full article (PDF)Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A., Ferreira, R.L., Iniesta, L.F.M. & Marek, P.E. 2016. A millipede missing link: Dobrodesmidae, a remarkable new polydesmidan millipede family from Brazil with supernumerary rings (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), and the establishment of a new suborder Dobrodesmidea. Zootaxa 2016(4178): 3–371. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2016.4178.390. Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Warfel, J.G. 2016. The harvestman genus Taracus Simon 1879, and the new genus Oskoron (Opiliones: Ischyropsalidoidea: Taracidae). Zootaxa 4180(1): 1–71. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4180.1.1. Reference page. 
• Wynne, J.J. & Shear, W.A. 2016. A new millipede, Austrotyla awishoshola n. sp., (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Conotylidae) from New Mexico, USA, and the importance of cave moss gardens as refugial habitats. Zootaxa 4084(2): 285–292. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4084.2.8.Reference page. 

2017

• Shear, W.A., Nosler, P. & Marek, P.E. 2017. The identity of Amplaria nazinta (Chamberlin, 1910): a century-old millipede mystery resolved (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striariidae). Zootaxa 4311(2): 233–240. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4311.2.4. Reference page. 

2018

• Khramov, A. V., Shear, W. A., Mercurio, R. & Kopylov, D. 2018. The first Permian centipedes from Russia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63(3): 549-555. DOI: 10.4202/app.00482.2018
• McAlpine, D.F. & Shear, W.A. 2018. The millipede Craspedosoma raulinsii Leach, 1814 (Chordeumatida: Craspedosomatidae) in North America with comments on the derivation of its binomial name. Zootaxa 4455(2): 389–394. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4455.2.8 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2018. Taracus aspenae, n. sp. (Opiliones: Taracidae) a new long-jawed harvestman from a cave in northeastern Oregon, U.S.A. Zootaxa 4413(3): 524–530. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4413.3.6 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2018. The centipede family Anopsobiidae new to North America, with the description of a new genus and species and notes on the Henicopidae of North America and the Anopsobiidae of the Northern Hemisphere (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha). Zootaxa 4422(2): 259–283. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4422.2.6 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Peck, S.B. 2018. Cyrtodesmus baerti, n. sp., a cryptic millipede from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Cyrtodesmidae). Zootaxa 4388(3): 417–424. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4388.3.7 Reference page. 
• Wang, B., Dunlop, J., Selden, P.A., Garwood, R., Shear, W.A., Müller, P. & Lei, X. 2018. Cretaceous arachnid Chimerarachne yingi gen. et sp. nov. illuminates spider origins. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2: 614–622. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0449-3 . Reference page. 

2019

• Shear, W.A. & Crawford, R.L. 2019. Cave millipedes of the United States. XVI. Two new species from Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon (Chordeumatida, Conotylidae and Caseyidae). Zootaxa 4674(5): 571–580. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.6 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Marek, P.E. 2019. Urochordeumatidae Silvestri, 1909, a millipede family endemic to Washington State, USA (Chordeumatida, Striariidea, Striarioidea). Zootaxa 4657(2): 352–360. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4657.2.7 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Shelley, R.M.(†) 2019. Solved after 140 years: the identity of the millipede Polydesmus cavicola Packard, 1877, and proposal of Packardesmus n. gen. (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Macrosternodesmidae). Zootaxa 4559(2): 384–390. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4559.2.11 . ResearchGate . Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Steinmann, D.B. 2019. Cave millipedes of the United States. XV. Coloradesmus gen. nov. (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Macrosternodesmidae), and four new species from caves in Colorado, USA. Subterranean Biology 32: 15–32. DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.32.38161 Reference page. 

2020

• Shear, W.A. 2020. The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893: I. Introduction to the family, synonymy of Vaferaria Causey with Amplaria Chamberlin, the new subfamily Trisariinae, the new genus Trisaria, and three new species (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea). Zootaxa 4758(2): 275–295. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4758.2.4 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A., Richart, C.H. & Wong, V.L. 2020. The millipede family Conotylidae in northwestern North America, with a complete bibliography of the family (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Heterochordeumatidea, Conotyloidea). Zootaxa 4753(1): 1–78. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4753.1.1 Reference page. 

2021

• Marek, P.E., Buzatto, B.A., Shear, W.A., Means, J.C., Black, D.G., Harvey, M.S. & Rodriguez, J. 2021. The first true millipede—1306 legs long. Scientific Reports 11(1), #23126: 1–8. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02447-0 Reference page. 
• Murányi, D., Manko, P., Kovács, S.T., Vinçon, G., Žiak, M., Kerimova, I.G., Snegovaya, N.Yu., Shear, W.A. & Oboňa, J. 2021. Review and contribution to the stonefly (Insecta: Plecoptera) fauna of Azerbaijan. Zootaxa 4975(1): 58–80. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4975.1.2 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2021. The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893. II. New records and species of the genus Amplaria Chamberlin, 1941 (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea). Zootaxa 4908(2): 205–224. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4908.2.3 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2021. The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893: III. Four new species of Striaria Bollman, 1888 (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striariidae) from Idaho, USA. Zootaxa 4920(3): 395–406. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4920.3.5 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. 2021. Additions to the millipede family Caseyidae. II. Martenseya, a new genus of miniature, blind millipedes from California (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striariidea, Striarioidea, Caseyidae). Pp 108–113 In Jäger, P., Shear, W.A. & Schwendinger, P.J., eds. A Festschrift honouring Prof. Dr. Jochen Martens on occasion of his 80th birthday. Zootaxa 4984(1): 1–384. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4984.1.1. Reference page.  Zootaxa 4984(1): 108–113. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4984.1.10 Reference page. 
• Shear, W.A. & Marek, P.E. 2021. Three new genera and eighteen new species of miniature polydesmid millipedes from the northwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae). Zootaxa 4975(1): 81–126. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4975.1.3 full article pdf Reference page. 

2023

• Marek, P.E., Hall, C.L., Lee, C., Bailey, J., Berger, M.C., Kasson, M.T. & Shear, W. 2023. A new species of Illacme from southern California (Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). Zookeys 1167ː 265–291. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.102537 Reference page. 

2026

• Shear, W. & Marek, P.E. 2026. Additions to the millipede family Caseyidae Verhoeff, 1909. VI. Proposal of the new subfamily Opioninae, new species and records of the genus Opiona Chamberlin, 1951 and synonymy of Speyosia Causey, 1963 with Opiona (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striariidea). Zootaxa 5792(1): 35–60. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.1.2 Reference page. 
• Vasquez-Valverde, L.F., Sierwald, P., Shear, W.A., Oromí, P., García, R., Schmale, D.G., III, Rodriguez, J., Kasson, M.T., Bueno-Villegas, J. & Marek, P.E. 2026. Reshaping the millipede tree of life by inclusion of the last two unsampled orders. Current Biology 36(12): 3184–3192.e3. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.035 . Reference page.