Agoristenidae Explained

Agoristenidae are a neotropical harvestman family of the Suborder Laniatores, in the superfamily Gonyleptoidea.

Name

The name of the type genus is a combination of Ancient Greek agora "gathering" and stenos "few", referring to the rarity of the family at the time of its discovery.[1]

Description

These harvestmen range in body length from two to about five millimeters. Their coloring ranges from yellowish to dark brown. Some show yellow stripes or white or green patches.[1]

Distribution

The subfamily Agoristeninae is endemic to the Greater Antilles. The other subfamilies have been found from northern South America.

Relationships

In older schemes, the now obsolete "Zamorinae" were the basal clade, with Agoristeninae and Leiosteninae as sister groups. Agoristeninae is sister group to all Gonyleptoidea except Stygnopsidae.[1] (after Kury 1997b, 1997c)

Species

Agoristeninae

Globibuninae

Leiosteninae

Agoristenidae Insertae sedis

Excluded from Agoristenidae, now placed elsewhere:

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. (2007): Agoristenidae Šilhavý, 1973. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 171ff