The Troglosironidae are a family of harvestmen with thirteen described species in a single genus, Troglosiro. Several species, including six undescribed ones, were collected around the island, and more are expected to be found.

Molecular data suggests that the Troglosironidae are related to Neogoveidae

Neogoveidae

The Neogoveidae are a family of harvestmen with twelve described species in five genera. However, at least seven species of Huitaca, 17 species of Metagovea and twelve species of Neogovea are currently awaiting description.-Distribution:...

 or Sironidae

Sironidae

The Sironidae are a family of harvestmen with more than 30 described species.The family shows a Laurasian distribution, with most species found in temperate Europe and the west coast of North America...

, but not to Pettalidae

Pettalidae

The Pettalidae are a family of harvestmen with 52 described species and subspecies in eleven genera. Several undescribed species are known or assumed in some genera.-Name:Pettalus is a name from Greek mythology that appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses....

, as was proposed earlier.

Troglosiro is 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 New Caledonia

New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

. They are eyeless, small harvestman, 2.5 mm long at the most. Despite their name, they do not live exclusively in cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

s; several species have been found in forest litter.

Name

The name of the genus giving the family its name is a combination of Ancient Greek

Ancient 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...

 troglos "cave", and the harvestman genus Siro.

Species

• Troglosiro aelleni Juberthie, 1979 (caves, possibly only Grotte d'Adio)
• Troglosiro juberthiei Shear, 1993 (montane forest litter)
• Troglosiro longifossa Sharma & Giribet, 2005
• Troglosiro ninqua Shear, 1993 (humid forest)
• Troglosiro platnicki Shear, 1993 (humid forest)
• Troglosiro raveni Shear, 1993 (dry forest litter)
• Troglosiro tillierorum Shear, 1993 (humid forest)

Six species are already named, but not yet published:

• Troglosiro brevifossa Sharma & Giribet
• Troglosiro monteithi Sharma & Giribet
• Troglosiro oscitatio Sharma & Giribet
• Troglosiro sheari Sharma & Giribet
• Troglosiro urbanus Sharma & Giribet
• Troglosiro wilsoni Sharma & Giribet