Ceratolasmatidae
Encyclopedia
The Ceratolasmatidae are a family of harvestmen with eleven described species.
The monophyly
of this family is questionable; it is composed of three possibly monophyletic groups:
, from California
to British Columbia
. Crosbycus is also found in Eastern Asia.
keras "horn" and the ending -lasma, referring to the similarity of genera such as Ortholasma and Dendrolasma (Nemastomatidae
).
The monophyly
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
of this family is questionable; it is composed of three possibly monophyletic groups:
- Ceratolasma and Acuclavella are four to six millimeters long, with moderately short legs and short pedipalpPedipalpPedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s. These two genera are closely related to Ischyropsalis (IschyropsalididaeIschyropsalididaeThe Ischyropsalididae are a family of harvestmen with about 40 described species.-Description:Species in this family range in body length from about four to 8.5 mm. They have moderately long legs. The greatly enlarged chelicerae can be almost twice as long as the body. While they share this feature...
).
- Hesperonemastoma species range from one to two millimeters in body length. They have similarities Nemastoma, which occurs in the Old WorldOld WorldThe Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
(hespero = "west" alludes to the occurrence in the New WorldNew WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
). It seems to be more closely related to Taracus (SabaconidaeSabaconidaeThe Sabaconidae are a family of harvestmen with about 50 known species.The species range in body length from 1.2 to 5.5 mm. The relatively small chelicerae are sexually dimorphic. In Taracus the chelicerae are strongly elongated...
) than to Ceratolasma.
- Crosbycus has a body length of less than one millimeter. The pedipalpPedipalpPedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s are long and very thin. Its moderately long legs are densely covered with setae, spikes and trichomeTrichomeTrichomes are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants and certain protists. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.- Algal trichomes :...
s. Crosbycus should possibly be placed in its own family.
Distribution
The family is restricted to North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Crosbycus is also found in Eastern Asia.
Name
The genus name is a combination of Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
keras "horn" and the ending -lasma, referring to the similarity of genera such as Ortholasma and Dendrolasma (Nemastomatidae
Nemastomatidae
The Nemastomatidae are a family of harvestmen with about 170 described species in 16 recent genera. Several fossil species and genera are known.Unlike some related currently recognized families, the Nemastomatidae are monophyletic.-Description:...
).
Species
- Acuclavella Shear, 1986
- Acuclavella cosmetoides Shear, 1986 -- IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
- Acuclavella merickeli Shear, 1986 -- Idaho
- Acuclavella quattuor Shear, 1986 -- Idaho
- Acuclavella shoshone Shear, 1986 -- Idaho
- Ceratolasma Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942
- Ceratolasma tricantha Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942 -- OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
- Crosbycus Roewer, 1914
- Crosbycus dasycnemus (Crosby, 1911) -- British Columbia
- Hesperonemastoma Gruber, 1970
- Hesperonemastoma pallidimaculosum (Goodnight & Goodnight, 1945) -- AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
- Hesperonemastoma inops (Packard, 1884) -- cave in KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
- Hesperonemastoma modestum (Banks, 1894) -- western USA
- Hesperonemastoma packardi (Roewer, 1914) -- cave in UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
- Hesperonemastoma kepharti (Crosby & Bishop, 1924) -- North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...