Trogulidae

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Trogulidae
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Trogulus tricarinatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Suborder: Dyspnoi
Superfamily: Troguloidea
Family: Trogulidae
Sundevall, 1833
Genera
Diversity
6 genera, 65 species
Approximate natural range of Trogulidae

Trogulidae is a family of harvestmen comprising 65 extant species (plus 1 extinct) in five genera.

Members of this species have short legs and live in soil. They have dirt attached to their bodies, to escape predators. Their body length ranges from 2 to 22 mm. In most genera the body is somewhat flattened and leathery. Adults have a small hood which hides their short chelicerae and pedipalps.[1]

Distribution[edit]

Members of this family occur in western and southern Europe, up to western North Africa and the Levant, the Caucasus and northern Iran. Trogulus tricarinatus, a predator of terrestrial snails, has been introduced to eastern North America.[1]

Name[edit]

The derivation of the name of the type genus, Trogulus, is not fully understood. The describer Latreille wrote that he named it because it looks like a monkshood. Perrier (1929) however derived the name from Ancient Greek trogein "gnawing", because of the rough, "gnawed-upon" appearance.[1]

Species[edit]

The known genera and species in Trogulidae as of 2023 are:[2][3][4]

See also extinct:

Plus see unknown:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Gruber, Jürgen (2007): Trogulidae Sundevall, 1833. In: Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 157ff
  2. ^ "A taxonomic catalogue of the Dyspnoi Hansen and Sørensen, 1904 (Arachnida: Opiliones)". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  3. ^ Chemeris, A.N. (2013) Two new harvestman species (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the collection of Siberian Zoological Museum. Arthropoda Selecta
  4. ^ "Trogulidae". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2023-12-15.

Further reading[edit]

  • Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Trogulidae
  • Pinto-da-Rocha, R., Machado, G. & Giribet, G. (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-02343-9