A remarkable new cave-dwelling Stylocellus (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) from peninsular Malaysia, with a discussion on taxonomic characters in the family Stylocellidae

A multilocus approach to harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones) phylogeny with emphasis on biogeography and the systematics of Laniatores

“…Given the topologies obtained in this study, a sister‐group relationship of pettalids to the remaining families seems to be a robust outcome. After the discovery of anal gland pores in the males of several lineages of Stylocellidae (Rambla, 1994; Schwendinger et al., 2004; Schwendinger and Giribet, 2005) in addition to Pettalidae and Sironidae, and having homologized the anal glands with the opisthosomal sternal glands of Neogoveidae and Troglosironidae (Sharma and Giribet, 2005), we now can reconstruct the presence of some sort of opisthosomal sexually dimorphic glands in the common ancestor of all cyphophthalmids. Likewise, it is now believed that the presence of eyes among the members of Cyphophthalmi is more widespread than previously thought, as it is now known from most Stylocellidae and Pettalidae (Sharma and Giribet, 2006; Boyer and Giribet, 2007).…”

Shearogovea, a New Genus of Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida, Opiliones) of Uncertain Position from Oaxacan Caves, Mexico

“…The free coxae II distinguishes Shearogovea from most neogoveid genera, although the Brazilian Canga DaSilva, Pinto-da-Rocha & Giribet, 2010 and the North American Metasiro Juberthie, 1960 also show this condition (Juberthie, 1960;DaSilva et al, 2010). This character state is shared with pettalids, troglosironids, and most sironids (except for Iberosiro de Bivort &Giribet, 2004 andParamiopsalis Juberthie, 1962), but differs from stylocellids and ogoveids, which, like most neogoveids, show fusion to the coxae of legs III (which are always fused to coxae of legs IV) (Giribet and Boyer, 2002). The lack of dentition in the claw of walking leg II and lack of any sort of opisthosomal exocrine glands, now interpreted as synapomorphies of the clade including these three families, also removes Shearogovea from the family Neogoveidae, as proposed by Benavides and Giribet (2007).…”

“…Giribet, 2007a:94;Jocqué and Jocqué, 2011:49. 'Neogovea'. Schwendinger et al, 2004Schwendinger et al, : 1422Benavides and Giribet, 2007:2. ''Neogovea''. Giribet and Boyer, 2002:110-116, 118, 121, 127, 128;Giribet and Kury, 2007:68, 83 Diagnosis.…”

“…Thus N. mexasca was considered of uncertain phylogenetic position in several studies (Giribet and Boyer, 2002;Schwendinger et al, 2004;Giribet and Kury, 2007;DaSilva et al, 2010) and recently excluded from Neogoveidae (Benavides and Giribet, 2007). However, some of these characters were considered adaptations to troglobite lifestyle, and was thus considered to be an aberrant neogoveid (Shear, 1979).…”

OnSpeleosiro argasiformis—a troglobitic Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida: Opiliones: Pettalidae) from Table Mountain, South Africa

“…Cave cyphophthalmids are not uncommon, with several species described from around the globe (e.g., Juberthie 1971;Rambla and Juberthie 1994;Schwendinger et al 2004). But only a few of these are true troglobites DaSilva, Pinto-da-Rocha & Giribet 2010 (Neogoveidae, although this species is probably a troglophile or even a trogloxene), a few stylocellids (e.g., Fangensis Rambla 1994), and Speleosiro Lawrence 1931 (Pettalidae), the latter being the subject of this note.…”