Monoscutidae

Taxobox


image_caption =
image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Opiliones
subordo = Eupnoi
superfamilia = Phalangioidea
familia = Monoscutidae
familia_authority = Forster, 1948
diversity_link = Monoscutidae
diversity = 5 genera, 32 species
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = :see text

The Monoscutidae are a family of harvestmen with 32 known species that all occur in or near Australia and New Zealand.

Species range in body length from two to three millimeters (Monoscutinae) and three to ten mm (Megalopsalidinae). The chelicerae are enormously enlarged in males of the subfamily Megalopsalidinae. Most species are colored in shades of browns to black. "Megalopsalis inconstans" is jet black with bright orange patches on the carapace; "Acihasta salebrosa" is tan and brown with many white and gold specks over the dorsum.aut|Cokendolpher, James C. & Taylor, Christopher K. (2007): Monoscutidae Forster, 1948. In: Pinto-da-Rocha "et al." 2007: 119ff]

The Monoscutidae are closely related to the Neopilionidae, which also occur in the Southern hemisphere.

pecies

* Megalopsalidinae Forster, 1949

:* "Megalopsalis" Roewer, 1923::* "Megalopsalis serritarsus" (Sørensen, 1886) (New South Wales; type species)::* "Megalopsalis chiltoni" (Hogg, 1910) (New Zealand):::* "Megalopsalis chiltoni" (Hogg, 1910):::* "Megalopsalis nigra" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis distincta" (Forster, 1964) (New Zealand - Auckland Island)::* "Megalopsalis fabulosa" (Phillips & Grimmett, 1932) (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis grayi" (Hogg, 1920) (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis grimmetti" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis hoggi" (Pocock, 1902) (Victoria)::* "Megalopsalis inconstans" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis marplesi" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis triascuta" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis tumida" Forster, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis turneri" Marples, 1944 (New Zealand)::* "Megalopsalis wattsi" (Hogg, 1920) (New Zealand)

:* "Pantopsalis" Simon, 1879::* "Pantopsalis listeri" (White, 1849) (New Zealand; type species)::* "Pantopsalis albipalpis" Pocock, 1903 (New Zealand):::: Synonyms: "Pantopsalis nigripalpis" Pocock, 1902:::::: "Pantopsalis nigripalpis spiculosa" Pocock, 1902:::::: "Pantopsalis jenningsi" Pocock, 1903::* "Pantopsalis cheliferoides" (Colenso, 1882) (New Zealand)::* "Pantopsalis coronata" Pocock, 1903 (New Zealand):::: Synonym: "Pantopsalis trippi" Pocock, 1903::* "Pantopsalis johnsi" Forster, 1964 (New Zealand - Auckland Island):::: Synonym: "Pantopsalis mila" Forster, 1964::* "Pantopsalis luna" (Forster, 1944) (New Zealand)::* "Pantopsalis phocator" Taylor, 2004 (New Zealand)::* "Pantopsalis pococki" Hogg, 1920 (New Zealand)::* "Pantopsalis rennelli" Forster, 1964 (New Zealand - Campbell Island)::* "Pantopsalis snaresensis" Forster, 1964 (New Zealand - Snares Island

:* "Spinicrus" Forster, 1949::* "Spinicrus tasmanicum" (Hogg, 1910) (Tasmania; type species)::* "Spinicrus camelus" Forster, 1949 (New South Wales)::* "Spinicrus continentalis" (Roewer, 1923) (Queensland)::* "Spinicrus minimum" Kauri, 1954 (Western Australia)::* "Spinicrus nigricans" Hickman, 1957 (Tasmania)::* "Spinicrus porongorupense" Kauri, 1954 (Western Australia)::* "Spinicrus stewarti" Forster, 1949 (Victoria)::* "Spinicrus thrypticum" Hickman, 1957 (Tasmania)

* Monoscutinae Forster, 1948

:* "Acihasta" Forster, 1948::* "Acihasta salebrosa" Forster, 1948 (New Zealand - Three Kings Islands)

:* "Monoscutum" Forster, 1948::* "Monoscutum titirangiensis" Forster, 1948 (New Zealand)

:* "Templar" Taylor, 2008::* "Templar incongruens" Taylor, 2008 (New Zealand)

Footnotes

References

* Forster, R. R. 1964. The Araneae and Opiliones of the sub-antarctic islands of New Zealand. "Pacific Insects Monograph" 7: 58-115.
*'s Biology Catalog: [http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Acari/Family/Monoscutidae.txt Monoscutidae]
* (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. "Harvard University Press" ISBN 0-674-02343-9
* Taylor, C. K. 2004. New Zealand harvestmen of the subfamily Megalopsalidinae (Opiliones: Monoscutidae) - the genus "Pantopsalis". "Tuhinga" 15: 53-76.
* Taylor, C. K. 2008. A new species of Monoscutinae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Monoscutidae) from New Zealand, with a redescription of "Monoscutum titirangiense". "Journal of Arachnology" 36: 176-179.