The Stygnopsidae are a small family of harvestmen, with almost all species found in Mexico.

Stygnopsidae
Scientific classification
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Stygnopsidae

Sørensen, 1932
Species

see text

Diversity
8 genera, c. 40 species

Name edit

The name of the type genus Stygnopsis is combined from the genus Stygnus (Stygnidae) and Ancient Greek opsis, "looks like".[1]

Description edit

The body length of these harvestmen ranges from 2.5 (Karos) to 7 mm (Hoplobunus). Their color ranges from dark brown to black, with much lighter appendages. Cave-dwelling species are pale light brown.[1]

Distribution edit

As in other Laniatores, most species have narrow distributions. Almost all species occur in Mexico, with some found in the southern USA (Hoplobunus), and Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize (Paramitraceras).

Relationships edit

Epedanidae

Assamiidae

Stygnopsidae

other Gonyleptoidea

Proposed phylogeny (after Kury 2003)

Epedanidae could be the sister group to Gonyleptoidea sensu lato (including the Assamiidae), with the Stygnopsidae the sister group to the rest of Gonyleptoidea. Although they reach into the Nearctic, they are more closely related to neotropical harvestmen.[1]

Species edit

  • Karos Goodnight & Goodnight, 1944 — Mexico

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ a b c Mendes, Amanda C. & Kury, Adriano B. (2007): Stygnopsidae. Sørensen, 1932. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 232ff

References edit

  • Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Stygnopsidae
  • Kury, Adriano B. (2003): Annotated catalogue of the Laniatores of the New World (Arachnida, Opiliones). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología vol. especial monográfico 1: 1-337.
  • Pinto-da-Rocha, R., Machado, G. & Giribet, G. (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-02343-9