Stygnidae

Taxobox


image_caption =
image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Opiliones
subordo = Laniatores
infraordo = Grassatores
superfamilia = Gonyleptoidea
familia = Stygnidae
familia_authority = Simon, 1879
diversity_link = List of Stygnidae species
diversity = c. 30 genera, > 70 species
subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
subdivision =
Heterostygninae

Nomoclastinae

Stygninae

The Stygnidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.

Name

The name of the type genus is derived from Ancient Greek "stygnos" "diabolic being".aut|Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo (2007): Stygnidae Simon, 1879. In: Pinto-da-Rocha "et al." 2007: 226ff]

Description

Body length ranges from about one to six millimeters. The color ranges from light brown to reddish. Some Heterostygninae have white patches, stripes or spots on the dorsal scutum.

Distribution

The Heterostygninae are found in the Lesser Antilles, Nomoclastinae are endemic to Colombia, and the Stygninae live from north of the Tropic of Capricorn (central South America). Most species live in the Amazonian rainforest. However, half the species have only been collected once, so distribution of species is poorly known.

Relationships

The Stygnidae are sister to Cosmetidae and Gonyleptidae, and belong to the same group inside Gonyleptoidea as these and Cranaidae and Manaosbiidae. The Stygnidae are monophyletic.

Genera

See the List of Stygnidae species for a list of currently described species.

Heterostygninae Roewer, 1913:* "Eutimesius" Roewer, 1913:* "Innoxius" Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997:* "Minax" Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997:* "Stenostygnellus" Roewer, 1913:* "Stygnidius" Simon, 1879:* "Stygnoplus" Simon, 1879:* "Timesius" Simon, 1879:* "Yapacana" Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997

Nomoclastinae Roewer, 1943:* "Nomoclastes" Sørensen, 1932

Stygninae Simon, 1879:* "Actinostygnoides" Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942:* "Auranus" Mello-Leitão, 1941:* "Iguarassua" Roewer, 1943:* "Kaapora" Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997:* "Metaphareus" Roewer, 1912:* "Niceforoiellus" Mello-Leitão, 1941:* "Ortonia" Wood, 1869:* "Paraphareus" Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943:* "Phareus" Simon, 1879:* "Pickeliana" Mello-Leitão, 1932:* "Planophareus" Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943:* "Protimesius" Roewer, 1913:* "Sickesia" H.E.M. Soares, 1979:* "Stenophareus" Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943:* "Stenostygnoides" Roewer, 1913:* "Stygnus" Perty, 1833:* "Verrucastygnus" Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997

"incertae sedis":* "Gaibulus" Roewer, 1943

Footnotes

References

* Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: [http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Acari/Family/Stygnopsidae.txt Stygnopsidae]
* (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. "Harvard University Press" ISBN 0-674-02343-9