| Stygnidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Protimesius gracilis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Opiliones |
| Suborder: | Laniatores |
| Infraorder: | Grassatores |
| Superfamily: | Gonyleptoidea |
| Family: | Stygnidae Simon, 1879 |
| Diversity | |
| c. 30 genera, > 70 species | |
The Stygnidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.
The name of the type genus is derived from Ancient Greek stygnos "diabolic being". [1]
Body length ranges from about one to six millimeters. The color ranges from light brown to reddish. Some Heterostygninae have white patches, stripes or spots on the dorsal scutum. [1]
The Heterostygninae are found in the Lesser Antilles, Nomoclastinae are endemic to Colombia, and the Stygninae live from north of the Tropic of Capricorn (central South America). Most species live in the Amazonian rainforest. However, half the species have only been collected once, so distribution of species is poorly known. [1]
The Stygnidae are sister to Cosmetidae and Gonyleptidae, and belong to the same group inside Gonyleptoidea as these and Cranaidae and Manaosbiidae. The Stygnidae are monophyletic. [1]
See the List of Stygnidae species for a list of currently described species.
HeterostygninaeRoewer, 1913
StygninaeSimon, 1879
--- Else see Nomoclastinae Roewer, 1943 including Nomoclastes Sørensen, 1932 => Nomoclastidae
The Opiliones are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs. As of July 2024, 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.
Pachylinae is the most diverse subfamily of the harvestman family Gonyleptidae, including around 400 valid species. Major groups of species occur in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, Bolivian/Peruvian highlands, Argentina, and Chilean temperate forest.
Gonyleptoidea is the most diverse superfamily of the Grassatores. It includes around 2,500 species distributed in the Neotropics. They are characterized by the simplified male genitalia, with the glans free subapical in the truncus.
Cosmetidae is a family of harvestmen in the suborder Laniatores. With over 700 species, it is one of the largest families in Opiliones. They are endemic of the New World with a Nearctic-Neotropical distribution where a large fraction of the diversity of Opiliones are represented by this single family. Cosmetidae have the northern extent of their range into the USA, where a small number species occur in the southern states. However, the family is especially diverse in Mexico, Central America and northern South America; especially the Andean realms. Their range also extends further south into Argentina and southern Brazil, but they are absent in Chile. Cosmetidae are prevalent in Amazonian region, but only relatively few also occur in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Several species are also found in the Caribbean.
The Sclerosomatidae are a family of harvestmen with about 1,300 known species. One former subfamily has been recently removed to form a new family, Globipedidae.
The Neopilionidae are a family of harvestmen.
The Nemastomatidae are a family of harvestmen with about 170 described species in 16 recent genera. Several fossil species and genera are known.
The Stygnopsidae are a small family of harvestmen, with almost all species found in Mexico.
Agoristenidae are a neotropical harvestman family of the Suborder Laniatores, in the superfamily Gonyleptoidea.
The Manaosbiidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.
The Cranaidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores.
Kimulidae is a small neotropical family of the harvestman infraorder Grassatores with about thirty described species.
Samoidae is a family of the harvestman infraorder Grassatores with about fifty described species.
The Cladonychiidae are a small family of harvestman with about 33 described species, within the suborder Laniatores.
Eutimesius is a genus of harvestmen in the family Stygnidae with five described species. All species are found in South America.
Metopilio is a genus of harvestmen in the family Globipedidae from Mexico and Central America.
Bourguyia is a genus of harvestmen in the family Gonyleptidae with four described species. All species are found in Brazil.
Poecilaemula is a genus of harvestmen in the family Cosmetidae with eight described species. All species are from Central America or South America. An overview of the taxonomy was provided by Medrano et al. (2024)