Chthoniidae Temporal range: | |
---|---|
Chthonius sp. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Pseudoscorpiones |
Superfamily: | Chthonioidea |
Family: | Chthoniidae Daday, 1888 |
Genera | |
See text | |
Diversity | |
c. 30 genera, > 600 species | |
Synonyms | |
Chthonidae |
Chthoniidae is a family of pseudoscorpions within the superfamily Chthonioidea. The family contains more than 600 species in about 30 genera. Fossil species are known from Baltic, Dominican, and Burmese amber. [1] Chthoniidae now includes the former families Tridenchthoniidae, and Lechytiidae which has been demoted to subfamilies. [2]
For a list of all currently described species see List of Chthoniidae species.
Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida.
The Cupedidae are a small family of beetles, notable for the square pattern of "windows" on their elytra, which give the family their common name of reticulated beetles.
Oonopidae, also known as goblin spiders, is a family of spiders consisting of over 1,600 described species in about 113 genera worldwide, with total species diversity estimated at 2000 to 2500 species. The type genus of the family is OonopsKeyserling, 1835.
Long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Anton Menge in 1866. They have elongated bodies, legs, and chelicerae, and build small orb webs with an open hub with few, wide-set radii and spirals with no signal line or retreat. Some species are often found in long vegetation near water.
Cunoniaceae is a family of 27 genera and about 335 species of woody plants in the order Oxalidales, mostly found in the tropical and wet temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The greatest diversity of genera are in Australia and Tasmania, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The family is also present in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Malesia, the islands of the South Pacific, Madagascar and surrounding islands. the family is absent from mainland Asia except from Peninsular Malaysia, and almost absent from mainland Africa apart from two species from Southern Africa. Several of the genera have remarkable disjunct ranges, found on more than one continent, e.g. Cunonia, EucryphiaWeinmannia.
Tanyderidae, sometimes called primitive crane flies, are long, thin, delicate flies with spotted wings, superficially similar in appearance to some Tipulidae, Trichoceridae, and Ptychopteridae. Most species are restricted in distribution. They are found in many parts of the world, including North America, South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean. Adults are usually found hanging from vegetation near streams. Larvae are found either in sandy stream margins or in wet, rotten wood. Fossil species are known.
Tetrablemmidae, sometimes called armored spiders, is a family of tropical araneomorph spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1873. It contains 126 described species in 29 genera from southeast Asia, with a few that occur in Africa and Central and South America. Pacullidae was incorporated into this family in 1981, but was later restored as a separate family in a 2016 phylogenetic study.
Archaeidae, also known as assassin spiders and pelican spiders, is a spider family with about ninety described species in five genera. It contains small spiders, ranging from 2 to 8 millimetres long, that prey exclusively on other spiders. They are unusual in that they have "necks", ranging from long and slender to short and thick. The name "pelican spider" refers to these elongated jaws and necks used to catch their prey. Living species of Archaeidae occur in South Africa, Madagascar and Australia, with the sister family Mecysmaucheniidae occurring in southern South America and New Zealand.
Lechytia is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the subfamily Lechytiinae within the family Chthoniidae. It is the sole genus in its subfamily and contains 22 described species from many parts of the world.
Boganiidae is a family of beetles, in the superfamily Cucujoidea. Members of the family are found in southern Africa, Australia and New Caledonia. Adults and larvae are pollenivorous, feeding on the pollen of cycads and flowering plants of the families Myrtaceae, Meliaceae, Cunoniaceae and Elaeocarpaceae. Metacucujus and Paracucujus act as pollinators for cycads Encephalartos and Macrozamia respectively. This association with cycads goes back to at least the Mid-Cretaceous, with an extinct form being found with preserved cycad pollen in 99 million year old Burmese amber.
Dinocheirus is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chernetidae.
Syarinidae is a family of pseudoscorpions in the order Pseudoscorpiones. There are at least 20 genera and 110 described species in Syarinidae.
Ideoroncidae is a family of pseudoscorpions belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones. Members of the family are known from Asia, Africa, western North America and South America.
Pseudotyrannochthoniidae is a family of pseudoscorpions, belonging to the superfamily Chthonioidea. It represents the most basal and primitive group of living pseudoscorpions, with less than 100 species in 6 genera. Living members of the group have a strongly disjunct distribution, likely reflecting ancient vicariance, occurring in Australia, Asia, Southern Africa and Madagascar, Western North America and southern South America. Fossils species are known from the Eocene Baltic and Bitterfeld amber, which represent members of extant Asian genera.
Parachernes is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the subfamily Chernetinae, first described by Joseph Conrad Chamberlin in 1931.
Austrochthonius is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chthoniidae. It was described in 1929 by American arachnologist Joseph Conrad Chamberlin.
Tyrannochthonius is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chthoniidae. It was described in 1929 by American arachnologist Joseph Conrad Chamberlin.
Sathrochthonius is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chthoniidae. It was described in 1962 by American arachnologist Joseph Conrad Chamberlin.