Ischyropsalididae
Encyclopedia
The Ischyropsalididae are a family of harvestmen with about 40 described species.
, this is a case of convergent evolution
. The elongated pedipalp
s are rather slender. Some species occur in cave
s.
, with many species found in the mountains (Pyrenees
, Alps
, Carpathian Mountains
, and Dinaric Mountains
. They reach into the Netherlands
, northwestern Germany
and Poland
in the north and to Calabria
in the south. A find from Sardinia
is considered doubtful.
) from western North America
. While the genus Taracus (Sabaconidae
) has anatomical similarities, it is not closely related.
ischyros "strong" and psalis "shears", referring to the greatly enlarged chelicerae.
Description
Species in this family range in body length from about four to 8.5 mm. They have moderately long legs. The greatly enlarged chelicerae can be almost twice as long as the body. While they share this feature with the NipponopsalididaeNipponopsalididae
The Nipponopsalididae are a family of harvestmen with two described species.-Description:They range in body length from 2.3 to 4.1 mm. Their eyes are rather large for harvestmen, and they have chelicerae that are longer than their body, and even longer, slender pedipalps and long legs...
, this is a case of convergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
. The elongated pedipalp
Pedipalp
Pedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s are rather slender. Some species occur in cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s.
Distribution
Members of this family are restricted to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, with many species found in the mountains (Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, and Dinaric Mountains
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
. They reach into the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, northwestern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in the north and to Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
in the south. A find from Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
is considered doubtful.
Relationships
The nearest relatives of the Ischyropsalididae are possibly the genera Ceratolasma and Acuclavella (CeratolasmatidaeCeratolasmatidae
The Ceratolasmatidae are a family of harvestmen with eleven described species.The monophyly of this family is questionable; it is composed of three possibly monophyletic groups:...
) from western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. While the genus Taracus (Sabaconidae
Sabaconidae
The Sabaconidae are a family of harvestmen with about 50 known species.The species range in body length from 1.2 to 5.5 mm. The relatively small chelicerae are sexually dimorphic. In Taracus the chelicerae are strongly elongated...
) has anatomical similarities, it is not closely related.
Name
The genus name is a combination of Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
ischyros "strong" and psalis "shears", referring to the greatly enlarged chelicerae.
Species
- Ischyropsalis adamii Canestrini, 1873
- Ischyropsalis amseli RoewerCarl Friedrich RoewerCarl Friedrich Roewer was a German arachnologist. He concentrated on harvestmen, where he described almost a third of today's known species, but also almost 700 taxa of spiders and numerous Solifugae....
, 1950 - Ischyropsalis apuana Caporiacco, 1930 - cave in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- Ischyropsalis apuana apuana Caporiacco, 1930
- Ischyropsalis apuana nanus Dresco, 1969
- Ischyropsalis archeri Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis asturica Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis caporiaccoi Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis carli Lessert, 1905 - SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
- Ischyropsalis coreana Suzuki, 1966
- Ischyropsalis corsica Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis dentipalpis Canestrini, 1872 - AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
- Ischyropsalis dispar Simon, 1872 - PyreneesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
- Ischyropsalis hadzii Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis helvetica Roewer, 1916 - Switzerland
- Ischyropsalis helwigii (PanzerGeorg Wolfgang Franz PanzerGeorg Wolfgang Franz Panzer was a German botanist and entomologist.He was born at Etzelwang in the Palatinate and died at Hersbruck, near Nuremberg.A physician, he practised at Hersbruck...
, 1794) - EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... - Ischyropsalis helwigii helwigii (Panzer, 1794)
- Ischyropsalis helwigii lucantei Simon, 1879 - high Pyrenees
- Ischyropsalis hispanum Roewer, 1953
- Ischyropsalis janetscheki Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis knirchi Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis kollari C. L. Koch, 1839
- Ischyropsalis kratochvili Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis lusitanica Roewer, 1923 - PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Ischyropsalis luteipes Simon, 1872 - Pyrenees
- Ischyropsalis magdalenae Simon, 1881 - Spain
- Ischyropsalis manicata L. KochLudwig Carl Christian KochLudwig Carl Christian Koch was a German entomologist and arachnologist.He was born in Regensburg, Germany and died in Nuremberg, Germany. He studied in Nuremberg, initially law, but then turned to medicine and science...
, 1865 - BosniaBosnia (region)Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is... - Ischyropsalis muelleri Hansen & Sørensen, 1904
- Ischyropsalis muellneri Hamann, 1898
- Ischyropsalis navarrensis Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis nicaea Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis nodifera Simon, 1879 - Pyrenees
- Ischyropsalis pecinifera Hadzi, 1927 - YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
- Ischyropsalis pestae Roewer, 1950
- Ischyropsalis pyrenaea Simon, 1872 - Pyrenees
- Ischyropsalis pyrenaea pyrenaea Simon, 1872
- Ischyropsalis pyrenaea alpinula Martens, 1978
- Ischyropsalis pyrenaea venasquensis Dresco, 1968
- Ischyropsalis ravasinii Hadzi, 1942
- Ischyropsalis redtenbacheri DoleschallCarl Ludwig DoleschallCarl Ludwig Doleschall was born in Nové Mesto nad Váhom , Slovakia , as the son of the theologian Michael Doleschall, and died in Ambon Island, Moluccas, only 31 years old...
, 1852 - DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south.... - Ischyropsalis ruffoi Caporiacco, 1949 - cave in Italy
- Ischyropsalis strandi Kratochvíl, 1936 - Italy