Scientific name Phalangodidae Higher classification Harvestmen Order Harvestmen | Suborder Laniatores Rank Family | |
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Similar Harvestmen, Laniatores, Arachnid, Triaenonychidae, Zalmoxidae | ||
The Phalangodidae are a family of harvestmen with about 20 genera and more than 100 described species, distributed in the Holarctic region.
Contents
It is not to be confused with the harvestman family Phalangiidae, which is in the suborder Eupnoi.
Name
The name of the type genus Phalangodes is derived from Ancient Greek φάλαγξ (phalanx), a line of soldiers in formation. This probably refers to the rows of pedipalpal spines.
Description
Body length ranges from less than 1 mm to about 3 mm (0.12 in). The pedipalps are armed with large spines. While some species have legs eight times the body length, others have shorter legs around twice the body length. Most species are yellowish to orange brown. Troglobitic (cave-dwelling) species are depigmented.
Distribution
More than two-thirds of the species occur in the western Nearctic, especially in California] with about 50 species in four endemic genera. About 10 species are known from the eastern Nearctic. Few occur in the Palearctic, with one species each in the Canary Islands and Japan, and about 20 species in the Mediterranean region.
Relationships
The family seems to be largely monophyletic, with the exceptions of a few genera such as Guerrobunus and Glennhuntia. Although the relationship of the Phalangodidae to other Grassatores is currently unresolved, the family seems relatively basal inside the Grassatores.
Genera
The family Phalangodidae contains these genera: