Range
Predominantly tropical. Some members of this group are found in the USA, for example in Tennessee Appalachian forests and Texas caves.
Life Cycle
Egg, juvenile, adult male/female. Reproduce sexually through direct insemination. Females lay eggs using an ovipositor.
Remarks
Some Neotropical members of this group (e.g., Ampheres leucopheus) are known to exhibit postzygotic paternal care - the only known examples of this occurring in the Arachnida.
Print References
Kury, A.B. 2003. Annotated catalogue of the Laniatores of the New World (Arachnida, Opiliones). Rev. Iber. Aracnol., special monographic volume No. 1. 337 pp.
Ryotaro Hara, M., P. Gnaspini, and G. Machado. 2003. Male egg guarding behavior in the Neotropical harvestman Ampheres leucopheus (Mello-Leitao 1922) (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae). Journal of Arachnology 31: 441-444.
Thomas, S.M. and M. Hedin. 2006. Natural history of the enigmatic southern Appalachian opilionid, Fumontana deprehendor Shear (Laniatores: Triaenoychidae), with an assessment of morphological variation. Zootaxa 1242: 21-36.
