The inventory of biodiversity constitutes a scientific task that becomes more important every day, mainly because of the serious threat represented by the negative impact exerted by the accelerated deforestation rhythm, and the imminent middle and long-term global climatic changes on ecosystems and associate biota. The situation is even more alarming in the small islands, due to their ecosystems’ fragility and the quick loss of their natural values.

Arachnids’ fauna from Greater Antilles has not been duly researched yet; that is why this collective of authors aimed to approach the study of several orders that, for their life habits and characteristics, show a high local endemism rate.

The results achieved during the last five-year period (1999-2003) appear in 18 articles that contain, among others, the following scientific novelties:

• -First proven case of parthenogenesis at world level, in Amblypygi order's members.
• -First proven case of acari parasitism at world level, on Amblypygiorder order's members.
• -Description of 4 new Schizomida genuses that are equavalent to 44% of those registered or described in the order for this geographical area.
• - Description of 42 new species for science that represent the fourth part of those that are known for these toxonomic groups in the study area.
• -First registration of Thelyphonellus genus for the Antilles (only known in Brazil and Suriname).
• -Description of the only well-known troglomorphic scorpion from the Antilles.
• - First systematic revision of Amblypygi order in Dominican Republic, with the first registration of Charinidae family for that Island.
• -Update of the list of scorpions from Greater Antilles until 2001.
• --First registrations of Scorpiones and Schizomida orders for Island Navassa.