Nipponopsalididae

Nipponopsalididae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Opiliones
Suborder:	Dyspnoi
Superfamily:	Nemastomatoidea
Family:	Nipponopsalididae Martens, 1976
Genus:	Nipponopsalis Martens & Suzuki, 1966
Type species
Ischyropsalis abei Sato & Suzuki, 1939
Species
see text
Diversity
3 species

The Nipponopsalididae are a family of harvestmen with two described species.

Description

They range in body length from 2.3 to 4.1 mm. Their eyes are rather large for harvestmen, and they have chelicerae that are longer than their body, and even longer, slender pedipalps and long legs. The females are larger than males.^[1]

Distribution

This small family was once thought to be endemic to Japan. However, a species from Korea was later found. A supposed find from Russia was based on a misidentification.^[1]

Relationships

The Nipponopsalididae are the sister group to other Troguloidea. The overall similarity to Ischyropsalis (Ischyropsalididae), where the type species was originally placed, is a case of convergence.^[1]

Name

The genus name Nipponopsalis is a combination of Nippon = Japan, and the ending of the harvestman genus Ischyropsalis.^[1]

Species

• Nipponopsalis abei (Sato & Suzuki, 1939)

• Nipponopsalis abei abei (Sato & Suzuki, 1939) (Japan)
• Nipponopsalis abei longipes Suzuki, 1973 (Ryukyu Islands)

• Nipponopsalis coreana (Korea)
• Nipponopsalis yezoensis (Suzuki, 1958) (Hokkaidō, Kuril Islands)

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Gruber, Jürgen (2007): NipponopsalididaeMartens, 1976. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 151ff

References

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