Open AccessFissiphalliidae, a new family of South American laniatorean harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)
Author(s) -
Martens Jochen
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.769
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1439-0469
pISSN - 0947-5745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0469.1988.tb00303.x
Subject(s) - opiliones , biology , polyphyly , genus , type genus , truncus , zoology , evolutionary biology , anatomy , type species , genetics , phylogenetics , gene , clade
Fissiphalliidae, a new family of the Opiliones suborder Laniatores, is described in the superfamily Gonyleptoidea, based on a new genus ( Fissiphallius n. gen.) und 3 new species ( F. sturmi n. sp., F. spinulatus n. sp., F. sympatricus n. sp.) from Colombia. Most emphasized are the male genitalic characters, unique in Opiliones: A honzontally split truncus which results in a long movable (glans) and an immovable finger (distal part of the truncus). Both hide the extremely long stylus with the seminal opening at its end. In an expanded state, the movable finger is bent dorsally by an erectile vesicle. It is shown that male genitalic characters in Opiliones display clear functional and constructional traits on the family level. Those characters, if used appropriately, will demonstrate that several families in gonyleptoid Laniatores are polyphyletic and should be divided into several taxa of the family level.