Pentanychidae

Pentanychidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Suborder: Laniatores
Superfamily: Travunioidea
Family: Pentanychidae
Briggs, 1971
Species

see text
Diversity
2 genera, 6 species

The Pentanychidae are a small family of harvestman with about six described species, within the suborder Laniatores.

Contents

Description

Pentanychidae range in length from about two to three millimeters. They are yellow to orange, with various degrees of black pigmentation.[1]

Distribution

These harvestmen are found in the Pacific northwest of the USA, from middle Washington to southwestern Oregon.[1]

Relationships

The relationships of this family to others, or even if it deserves family status, are not yet clear.[1]

Name

The name of the type genus Pentanychus (now synonymized with Erebomaster) is derived from Ancient Greek. It refers to five branches of claws on the two latter pairs of legs.[1]

Species

  • Isolachus spinosus Briggs, 1971 — Oregon
  • Pentanychus hamatus Briggs, 1971 — Oregon
  • Pentanychus bilobatus Briggs, 1971 — Oregon
  • Pentanychus clavatus Briggs, 1971 — Oregon
  • Pentanychus flavescens Briggs, 1971 — Oregon
  • Pentanychus pacificus Briggs, 1971 — Washington

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d Briggs, Thomas S. & Ubick, Darrell (2007): Pentanychidae Briggs, 1971. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 214ff

References