Gonyleptidae is a Neotropical family of harvestmen (Order Opiliones) with more than 800 species, the largest in the Suborder Laniatores

Laniatores

Laniatores is the largest suborder of the arachnid order Opiliones with over 4,000 described species worldwide. The majority of the species are highly dependent on humid environments and usually correlated with tropical and temperate forest habitats....

 and the second largest of the Opiiones as a whole. The largest known harvestmen are gonyleptids.

Like most harvestmen, gonyleptids are almost exclusively nocturnal, except some Caelopyginae, Goniosomatinae, (during reproductive season), Gonyleptinae, Mitobatinae, Pachylinae and Progonyleptoidellinae. Most species inhabit dense tropical, subtropical and temperate (Chile) forests, but some occur in open vegetation as the Pampas, the Cerrado

Cerrado

The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...

, and the Caatinga

Caatinga

Caatinga is a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation"...

. There are some species that live in caves, but only three troglobite

Troglobite

Troglobites are small cave-dwelling animals that have adapted to their dark surroundings. Troglobite species include spiders, insects, fish and others. They live permanently underground and cannot survive outside the cave environment. Troglobite adaptations and characteristics include a heightened...

s are recorded for the family.

Name

The family is named after the type genus Gonyleptes, which is derived from Greek gony, gonatos = joint, knee + leptos, ê, on = thin, fine, delicate.

Diagnosis

Laniatores with coxa IV immensely developed, widely surpassing dorsal scutum in dorsal view in most species. Many species with double ozopore

Ozopore

An ozopore is a defensive gland present in harvestmen, which are eight-legged arachnids also known as "daddy long-legs". These glands, also called "scent glands", "repugnatorial glands", "odoriferous glands" or "stink glands" by various authors, are located at the anterior sides of the prosoma.The...

. Pedipalpus with cylindrical segments, strongly spined, tibia and tarsus flattened ventrally. Basal segments of leg IV with strong sexual dimorphism, shown either in spination, curvature or length. Penis with ventral plate well defined, glans may bear ventral and/or dorsal processes.

Distribution

Recorded continuously from the southernmost tip of the South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n continent (Southern Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and Argentina), Falklands to Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, with one isolated species cited from Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

.

Subfamilies

At the moment, Gonyleptidae comprises 16 subfamilies, 284 genera and 823 species:

• Ampycinae (2 genera; 3 species)
• Bourguyiinae (8; 15)
• Caelopyginae (9; 29)
• Cobaniinae (1; 2)
• Goniosomatinae (5; 46)
• Gonyassamiinae (2; 3)
• Gonyleptinae (38; 142)
• Hernandariinae (4; 12)
• Heteropachylinae (8; 11)
• Metasarcinae (13; 25)
• Mitobatinae (1; 45)
• Pachylinae
  Pachylinae
  Pachylinae Sørensen, 1884 is the most diverse subfamily of the harvestman family Gonyleptidae, including around 400 valid species . Major groups of species occur in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Bolivian/Peruvian Highlands, Argentina and Chilean Temperate Forest.- Important genera :Currently, 128...
  
   (129; 400)
• Pachylospeleinae (1; 1)
• Progonyleptoidellinae (10; 17)
• Sodreaninae (4; 5)
• Tricommatinae (29; 51)

Relationships

Gonyleptidae is the sister-group of Cosmetidae

Cosmetidae

Cosmetidae, with around 700 species, is the second most diverse family of the Suborder Laniatores. They are distributed from Argentina to southern USA, most diverse in northern South America, Central America and Mexico...

 and both are related to the Stygnidae

Stygnidae

The Stygnidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.-Description:Body length ranges from about one to six millimeters. The color ranges from light brown to reddish...

 and Cranaidae

Cranaidae

The Cranaidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.-Name:The name of the type genus is derived from Cranaus, the successor of Cecrops I as king of Attica in Greek mythology.-Description:...

(Kury, 1992).