Cladonychiidae


The Cladonychiidae are a small family of harvestman with about 33 described species, within the suborder Laniatores.

Description

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.

Distribution

The members of Cladonychiidae are found in Southern Europe and the United States.

Fossils

Proholoscotolemon was recently found in Baltic amber.

Relationships

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.

Name

The name of the former type genus Cladonychium is derived from Ancient Greek "branched claw".

Species

These genera and species belong to the family Cladonychiidae: