Stygnidae

Stygnidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Suborder: Laniatores
Infraorder: Grassatores
Superfamily: Gonyleptoidea
Family: Stygnidae
Simon, 1879
Subfamilies

Heterostygninae
Nomoclastinae
Stygninae

Diversity
c. 30 genera, > 70 species

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".[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo (2007): Stygnidae Simon, 1879. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 226ff

References