Table 1.

Summary of the terrestrial arthropod fauna of the Rhynie and Windyfield chert ecosystems, and their potential ecologies.

taxon	suggested ecology	remarks
Nematoda: Enoplia
Palaeonema phyticum	fed on cortical cells of Agalophyton, supplemented by microorganisms?
Arachnida: Trigonotarbida
Palaeocharinus spp.	predator on other small animals	used preoral digestion
Arachnida: Acariformes
Protacarus crani	predator on nematodes?
Pseudoprotacarus scoticus	mycophages, plus predation on nematodes?
Protospelorchestes pseudoprotacarus	mycophages and/or algal feeders?
Palaeotydeus devonicus/Paraprotacarus hirsti	scavengers and/or mycophages?
Arachnida: Opiliones
Eophalangium sheari	predator on other small animals, plus decaying animal and/or plant material
Arachnida incertae sedis
Saccogulus seldeni	uncertain	probably used preoral digestion
Myriapoda: Chilopoda
Crussolum sp.	predator on other small animals	probably cursorial on the substrate
Myriapoda: Diplopoda?
Rhynimonstrum dunlopi	detritivore?	affinities and ecology uncertain
Hexapoda: Collembola
Rhyniella preacursor	mycophage/detritivore?	maybe fed on fungal hyphae and decaying plant material
Hexapoda: Insecta
Rhyniognatha hirsti	uncertain (non-carnivorous?)	fossil has chewing mandibles
Leverhulmia mariae	detritivore	gut contents include arthropod cuticle, macerated plant debris and spores