| Pantopsalis cheliferoides | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Opiliones |
| Family: | Neopilionidae |
| Genus: | Pantopsalis |
| Species: | P. cheliferoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Pantopsalis cheliferoides (Colenso, 1883) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Pantopsalis cheliferoides is a species of Neopilionid harvestmen. [1] This species was originally described by William Colenso and is endemic to New Zealand.
P. cheliferoides is a dark-coloured harvestman. They are extremely sexual dimorphic: males have exaggerated chelicerae (jaws), which are reduced in females. As with several other species of the genus Pantopsalis, the male chelicerae have two morphs or forms, long and short. Unusually, the morph with shorter chelicerae are not merely a scaled-down version of the long morph, but instead are stout and exaggerated in the width of the second segment. [2]
Pantopsalis cheliferoides is endemic to New Zealand. [3] It is found on both of the main islands of New Zealand, according to GBIF occurrence data. [1]
Males of P. cheliferoides have jaws which take two forms: elongated or short and broad. [2] The chelicerae are used for combat between males: males with long chelicerae use them for grappling, while males with short chelicerae stab or punch with them. [2]
This species was first described by Colenso in May 1883 under the name Phalangium cheliferoides. [4] He used a specimen collected in Seventy Mile Bush, in the southern Wairarapa between Norsewood and Dannevirke. After first seeing one in 1879, he spent four years hunting for this species; he saw four individuals but was only able to capture one. The second individual he saw waved its chelicerae threateningly at him, and Colenso says "I, bearing in mind our small blackish katipo spider, was on my guard; perhaps too much so." The harvestman escaped. Finally Colenso captured a single specimen in 1881. [4]
He chose the name cheliferoides as a reference to the pseudoscorpion genus Chelifer . [4] In 2000 Cor Vink transferred Phalangium cheliferoides to the genus Pantopsalis after examining Colenso's holotype specimen, now held in Canterbury Museum. [5] However, in 2004 the arachnologist Christopher K. Taylor declared this name nomen dubium because the holotype specimen was in such poor condition. [6] In 2013, after examining specimens from various museums, Taylor redescribed the species, confirming that this species is distinct from similar species in the genus. [7]
The Opiliones are an order of arachnids colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, or daddy longlegs. As of April 2017, over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of extant species may exceed 10,000. The order Opiliones includes five suborders: Cyphophthalmi, Eupnoi, Dyspnoi, Laniatores, and Tetrophthalmi, which were named in 2014.
Dyspnoi is a suborder of harvestmen, currently comprising 43 extant genera and 356 extant species, although more species are expected to be described in the future. The eight families are currently grouped into three superfamilies: the Acropsopilionoidea, Ischyropsalidioidea, and Troguloidea.
Cyphophthalmi is a suborder of harvestmen, colloquially known as mite harvestmen. Cyphophthalmi comprises 36 genera, and more than two hundred described species. The six families are currently grouped into three infraorders: the Boreophthalmi, Scopulophthalmi, and Sternophthalmi.
Phalangium is a genus of harvestmen, that occurs mostly in the Old World. The best known species is Phalangium opilio, which is so common in many temperate regions that it is simply called "harvestman".
Rilaena triangularis is a species of the harvestman family Phalangiidae. It is sometimes considered to be in the genus Paraplatybunus, in the subfamily Platybuninae.
Mitopus morio is a species of harvestman belonging to the family Phalangiidae.
Phalangium opilio is "the most widespread species of harvestman in the world", occurring natively in Europe, and much of Asia. The species has been introduced to North America, North Africa and New Zealand. It is found in a wide range of habitats, including meadows, bogs, forests, and various types of anthropogenic habitats, such as gardens, fields, hedgerows, lawns, quarries, green places in built-up areas, walls and bridges. Phalangium opilio is known to feed on Helicoverpa zea eggs, and thus can act as biological pest control for soybean crops. The species is nocturnal, as is typical of opilionids.
The Monoscutidae are a family of harvestmen with 32 known species that all occur in or near Australia and New Zealand.
Troglosironidae is a family of harvestmen with thirteen described species in a single genus, Troglosiro, which is found on the island of New Caledonia, in the Pacific Ocean.
Ogoveidae is a family of harvestmen with three described species in one genus, Ogovea, which is found in equatorial West Africa.
Nipponopsalididae is a family of harvestmen with three described species in one genus, Nipponopsalis, which is found in East Asia.
Opiliones are an order of arachnids and share many common characteristics with other arachnids. However, several differences separate harvestmen from other arachnid orders such as spiders. The bodies of opiliones are divided into two tagmata : the abdomen (opisthosoma) and the cephalothorax (prosoma). Unlike spiders, the juncture between the abdomen and cephalothorax is often poorly defined. Harvestmen have chelicerae, pedipalps and four pairs of legs. Most harvestmen have two eyes, although there are eyeless species.
Harvestmen (Opiliones) are an order of arachnids often confused with spiders, though the two orders are not closely related. Research on harvestman phylogeny is in a state of flux. While some families are clearly monophyletic, that is share a common ancestor, others are not, and the relationships between families are often not well understood.
Tetrophthalmi is an extinct suborder of Opiliones that had both median and lateral eyes. First described in 2014, it is known from two extinct species. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this eye arrangement is the ancestral condition for harvestmen, placing Tetrophthalmi and Cyphophthalmi in a basal position within Opiliones.
Huitaca boyacaensis is a species of neotropical harvestmen in the family Neogoveidae, first described by Ligia Benavides and Gonzalo Giribet in 2013.
Pantopsalis is a genus of eleven species of harvestman in the family Neopilionidae. They are all endemic to New Zealand. Males of some species are notable for their enlarged chelicerae.
Forsteropsalis is a genus of harvestmen (Opiliones) endemic to New Zealand. Males of this genus have exaggerated chelicerae weapons used in male-male competition. Forsteropsalis are opportunistic omnivores that both capture live prey and scavenge dead animal matter. The diet includes various insects, arachnids, spiders, millipedes, amphipods, and annelid worms.
Pantopsalis albipalpis is a species of harvestman in the genus Pantopsalis. It was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in a paper published in 1902. P. albipalpis cannot be distinguished from P. johnsi but P. johnsi has not been synonymised as these species each have a distinct distribution.
Pantopsalis listeri is a species of harvestman in the family Neopilionidae.
Forsteropsalis pureora is a species of long-legged harvestman in the family Neopilionidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand, found in the North Island. They are found in native forest, often resting on vegetation or stream banks.
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