The Triaenonychidae are a family of harvestmen with about 120 genera and more than 440 described species.

Triaenonychidae
Fumontana deprehendor
Scientific classification
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Triaenonychidae

Sørensen in L. Koch, 1886
Subfamilies
Diversity
c. 120 genera, > 440 species

Description edit

Most Triaenonychidae are from three to five millimeters long, although some species from South Africa can be only 1 millimetre (0.039 in) long. Some species in the subfamily Adaeinae are almost 10 mm (0.39 in) long. Legs are almost always short, measuring 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in). The armed pedipalps are large, and much stronger than the legs.[1]

Distribution edit

Triaenonychidae are found in North and South America, Japan and Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and Madagascar.[1]

Relationships edit

The Triaenonychidae should probably split into at least two families. The genera from the Australian region are considered Triaenonychidae sensu stricto, and may include the strange Synthetonychiidae; the northern species should be grouped with Travuniidae.[1]

Name edit

The name of the type genus Triaenonyx is combined from Ancient Greek τρίαινα (triaina, "trident, fish spear") and ὄνυξ (onyx, "claw").[1]

Genera edit

The following genera are included in the family:[2]

Triaenonychinae Sørensen in L. Koch, 1886
Kaolinonychinae Suzuki, 1975
Nippononychinae Suzuki, 1975
Paranonychinae Briggs, 1971
Sclerobuninae Dumitrescu, 1976
Sorensenellinae Forster, 1954

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Adriano B. Kury (2007). "Triaenonychidae Sørensen, 1886". In Ricardo Pinto-da-Rocha, Glauco Machado & Gonzalo Giribet (ed.). Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press. pp. 239–246. ISBN 978-0-674-02343-7.
  2. ^ Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Triaenonychidae