Cladonychiidae | |
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Briggsus, Oregon | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Opiliones |
Infraorder: | Insidiatores |
Superfamily: | Travunioidea |
Family: |
Cladonychiidae Hadži, 1935 |
Synonyms | |
Erebromastridae |
The Cladonychiidae are a small family of harvestman with about 33 described species, within the suborder Laniatores.
Members of this family range from less than two to about four millimeters in body length, with robust, spined pedipalps and rather short legs, although the second pair can be as long as two centimeter. Most Cladonychiidae are reddish brown to dark brown, but cave-dwelling species are pale yellow. Not all species have eyes. [1]
The members of Cladonychiidae are found in Southern Europe and the United States. [2]
Proholoscotolemon was recently found in Baltic amber.
The genera Peltonychia, Holoscotolemon, Erebomaster, Theromaster, Speleonychia, Briggsus, and Isolachus from the family Travuniidae and the former family Pentanychidae have been transferred to Cladonychiidae. This left Travuniidae with three genera from the Balkan region of Europe, Travunia, Trojanella, and Dinaria. [2]
The name of the former type genus Cladonychium (now synonymized with Erebomaster) is derived from Ancient Greek "branched claw". [1]
These genera and species belong to the family Cladonychiidae: [2] [3] [4]