Stygnidae
Encyclopedia
The Stygnidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores
.
.
, 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.
and Gonyleptidae
, and belong to the same group inside Gonyleptoidea
as these and Cranaidae
and Manaosbiidae
. The Stygnidae are monophyletic.
Heterostygninae Roewer, 1913
Nomoclastinae Roewer, 1943
Stygninae Simon, 1879
incertae sedis
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....
.
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 scutumScutum
Scutum is a small constellation introduced in the seventeenth century. Its name is Latin for shield.-History:Scutum is the only constellation that owes its name to a non-classical historical figure...
.
Distribution
The Heterostygninae are found in the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, Nomoclastinae are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and the Stygninae live from north of the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
(central South America). Most species live in the Amazonian rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
. However, half the species have only been collected once, so distribution of species is poorly known.
Relationships
The Stygnidae are sister to CosmetidaeCosmetidae
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 Gonyleptidae
Gonyleptidae
Gonyleptidae is a Neotropical family of harvestmen with more than 800 species, the largest in the Suborder Laniatores and the second largest of the Opiiones as a whole...
, and belong to the same group inside Gonyleptoidea
Gonyleptoidea
Gonyleptoidea is the most diverse superfamily of the Grassatores. It includes around 2,500 species distributed in the tropics. They are characterized by the simplified male genitalia, with the glans free subapical in the truncus....
as these 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:...
and Manaosbiidae
Manaosbiidae
The Manaosbiidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.-Name:The name of the type genus is combined from Manaus and Ancient Greek bios "living".-Description:...
. The Stygnidae are monophyletic.
Genera
See the List of Stygnidae species for a list of currently described species.Heterostygninae Roewer, 1913
- EutimesiusEutimesiusThe genus Eutimesius has four species described, is diagnosed by the cephalotorax with one enlarged eminence ; dorsal scute with white spots; area III with two spines; and the penis with distal U-shaped cleft, ventral plate narrow and long at base; stylus with dorsal process and the basal half of...
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
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
- Gaibulus Roewer, 1943