Troglosironidae
| Troglosironidae | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Opiliones |
| Suborder: | Cyphophthalmi |
| Superfamily: | Sironoidea |
| Family: | Troglosironidae Shear, 1993 |
| Genus: | Troglosiro Juberthie, 1979 |
| Species | |
|
see text | |
| Diversity | |
| 1 genus, 13 species | |
 | |
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 of New Caledonia, and more are expected to be found.[1]
Molecular data suggests that the Troglosironidae are related to Neogoveidae or Sironidae, but not to Pettalidae, as was proposed earlier.[1]
Troglosiro is endemic to New Caledonia. They are eyeless, small harvestman, 2.5 mm long at the most.[2] Despite their name, they do not live exclusively in caves; several species have been found in forest litter.[3]
Name
The name of the genus giving the family its name is a combination of Ancient 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:[4]
- Troglosiro brevifossa Sharma & Giribet
- Troglosiro monteithi Sharma & Giribet
- Troglosiro oscitatio Sharma & Giribet
- Troglosiro sheari Sharma & Giribet
- Troglosiro urbanus Sharma & Giribet
- Troglosiro wilsoni Sharma & Giribet
Footnotes
References
- Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Troglosironidae
- Checklist of the Cyphophthalmi species of the World
- Shear, W.A. (1993): The genus Troglosiro and the new family Troglosironidae (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi). Journal of Arachnology 21: 81-90. PDF
- Sharma, P. & Giribet, G. (2005): A new troglosiro species (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Pettalidae) from New Caledonia. Zootaxa 1053: 47-60. PDF
- Pinto-da-Rocha, R., Machado, G. & Giribet, G. (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-02343-9