Numbers
~120 spp. in 22 genera total
(1)Range
western US taxa - southwestern Oregon, widespread in California, mountains of Arizona, Texas (mostly caves)
eastern US taxa - Ozarks, Ouachitas, uplands of se US, southern Appalachians
Habitat
Forests under rocks & logs, in caves
Season
Can be found year round in sheltered microhabitats; many Californian taxa "disappear" in dry summer months, retreating into soil matrix
Print References
Goodnight, CJ & ML Goodnight, 1942. New Phalangodidae (Phalangida) from the United States. American Museum Novitates, New York, 1188: 1-18. (
online PDF)
Hedin M and S Thomas. 2010. Molecular systematics of eastern North American Phalangodidae (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores), demonstrating convergent morphological evolution in caves. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54, 107-121. (
online PDF)
Kury A.B. (2003) Annotated catalogue of the Laniatores of the New World (Arachnida, Opiliones). Rev. Iber. Aracnol., special monographic volume 1. 337 pp.
Ubick, D. & Briggs, T.S. (2008) The harvestman family Phalangodidae. 6. Revision of the
Siltalcina complex (Opiliones: Laniatores). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, (4) 59(1), 1–108. (
online PDF)
Ubick, D. 2007. Phalangodidae. pp.217-221. in R. Pinto-da-Rocha, G. Machado, & G. Giribet. (eds.) Harvestmen, The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press, 597 pp. (
online PDF)
Contributed by
marshal hedin on 26 February, 2009 - 9:24pm
Additional contributions by
v belovLast updated 6 January, 2017 - 4:55pm