GONYLEPTIDAE

'Gonyleptidae', with more than 800 species, is the largest family of the Suborder Laniatores and the second largest of the order Opiliones. This Neotropical family comprises the largest known Opiliones.
Like most harvestmen, gonyleptids are almost exclusively nocturnal, except by some Caelopyginae, Goniosomatinae, (during reproductive season), Gonyleptinae, Mitobatinae, Pachylinae and Progonyleptoidellinae. Most species inhabit dense tropical, subtropical and temperate (Chile) forests, but some occur in open vegetation as the Pampas, the Cerrado, and the Caatinga. There are some species that live in caves, but only three troglobites are recorded for the family.

Contents

Name

Diagnosis

Distribution

Subfamilies

Relationships

References

Name

The family is named after the type genus ''Gonyleptes'', which is derived from Greek ''gony, gonatos'' = joint, knee + ''leptos, ê, on'' = thin, fine, delicate.

Diagnosis

Laniatores with coxa IV immensely developed, widely surpassing dorsal scutum in dorsal view in most species. Many species with double ozopore. Pedipalpus with cylindrical segments, strongly spined, tibia and tarsus flattened ventrally. Basal segments of leg IV with strong sexual dimorphism, shown either in spination, curvature or length. Penis with ventral plate well defined, glans may bear ventral and/or dorsal processes.

Distribution

Recorded continuously from the southernmost tip of the South American continent (Southern Chile and Argentina), Falklands to Costa Rica, with one isolated species cited from Guatemala.

Subfamilies

At the moment, Gonyleptidae comprises 16 subfamilies, 284 genera and 823 species:

★ Ampycinae (2 genera; 3 species)

★ Bourguyiinae (8; 15)

★ Caelopyginae (9, 29)

★ Cobaniinae (1; 2)

★ Goniosomatinae (5; 46)

★ Gonyassamiinae (2; 3)

★ Gonyleptinae (38; 142)

★ Hernandariinae (4; 12)

★ Heteropachylinae (8; 11)

★ Metasarcinae (13; 25)

★ Mitobatinae (1; 45)

★ Pachylinae (129; 400)

★ Pachylospeleinae (1; 1)

★ Progonyleptoidellinae (10; 17)

★ Sodreaninae (4; 5)

★ Tricommatinae (29; 51)

Relationships

Gonyleptidae is the sister-group of Cosmetidae and both are related to the Stygnidae and Cranaidae (Kury, 1992).

References

★ (1992). The false Cranainae of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae). ''Tropical Zoology'', '5'(2): 279-291.