Megabunus

Megabunus
Megabunus
M. diadema from Belgium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Suborder: Eupnoi
Family: Phalangiidae
Subfamily: Platybuninae
Genus: Megabunus
Meade, 1855
Type species
Megabunus insignis
Meade, 1855
Species

See text.
Diversity
6 species

Megabunus is a genus of harvestmen with six known recent species. All occur in Europe, mostly in the vicinity of the Alps.

In Megabunus, the pedipalps are armed with strong ventral spines, especially on the femur, probably to hold fast to prey.[1]

Contents

Name

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek mega "big" and -bunus, which is a common ending for certain opilionid genera.

Species

  • Megabunus armatus (Kulczynski, 1887) ( Tirols, Slovenia)
  • Megabunus bergomas Chemini, 1985 (Italy)
  • Megabunus diadema (Fabricius, 1779) (Western Europe)
  • Megabunus lesserti Schenkel, 1927 (Germany, Austria, Switzerland; possibly a variation of M. armatus)
  • Megabunus rhinoceros (Canestrini, 1872) (Swiss Alps)
  • Megabunus vignai Martens, 1978 (Italy)

Footnotes

  1. ^ Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 327

References

  • Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Phalangiidae
  • Pinto-da-Rocha, R., Machado, G. & Giribet, G. (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-02343-9

Further reading

  • Martens, Jochen (1978): Spinnentiere, Arachnida, Weberknechte, Opiliones, ser. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands (Dahl,Friedrich ed.), vol. 64. VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena

External links


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