Biantidae

Biantidae is a family of the harvestman infraorder Grassatores with about 130 described species.

Description

Biantidae are between 1.5 and 5.5 millimeters long, with legs ranging from three to 25 mm and enlarged, armed pedipalps. Many species are mahogany, many others yellow with dark mottling.

Distribution

Biantidae have radiated greatly on the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar (which was once connected to India), with many other species from mainland Africa. One subfamily however, the Stenostygninae, is found on the West Indies, with one described species from mainland northern South America.

Relationships

Biantidae are included in the superfamily Samooidea, which mainly radiated in South America.

Name

The type genus is named after Biantes, the son of Parthenopaeus, one of the Epigoni who marched against Thebes in Greek mythology.

Genera

For a list of all described species, see the List of Biantidae species.

Biantinae

• Anaceros <small>Lawrence, 1959</small> — Madagascar (4 species)
• Biantella <small>Roewer, 1927</small> — Cameroon (1 species)
• Biantes <small>Simon, 1885</small> — Nepal, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Seychelles (30 species)
• Biantessus <small>Roewer, 1949</small> — South Africa (2 species)
• Biantomma <small>Roewer, 1942</small> — Equatorial Guinea (Bioko) (1 species)
• Clinobiantes <small>Roewer, 1927</small> — Cameroon (1 species)
• Cryptobiantes <small>Kauri, 1962</small> South Africa (1 species)
• Eubiantes <small>Roewer, 1915</small> — Tanzania (1 species)
• Fageibiantes <small>Roewer, 1949</small> — Madagascar (2 species)
• Hinzuanius <small>Karsch, 1880</small> — Madagascar, Socotra, Comoros, Ethiopia (14 species)
• Ivobiantes <small>Lawrence, 1965</small> — Ivory Coast (1 species)
• Metabiantes <small>Roewer, 1915</small> — Africa (various countries) (41 species)
• Monobiantes <small>Lawrence, 1962</small> — Kenya (1 species)
• Probiantes <small>Roewer, 1927</small> — India (1 species)
• Tetebius <small>Roewer, 1949</small> — Mozambique (1 species)

Lacurbsinae

• Eulacurbs <small>Roewer, 1949</small> — Ghana (1 species)
• Heterolacurbs <small>Roewer, 1912</small> — Togo (1 species)
• Lacurbs <small>Sørensen, 1896</small> — Cameroon, Ivory Coast (2 species)
• Metalacurbs <small>Roewer, 1914</small> — western Africa (4 species)
• Prolacurbs <small>Roewer, 1949</small> — Ghana (1 species)

Stenostygninae

• Bidoma <small>Silhavy, 1973</small> — Haiti (1 species)
• Caribbiantes <small>Silhavy, 1973</small> — Cuba (3 species)
• Decuella <small>Avram, 1977</small> — Cuba (1 species)
• Galibrotus <small>Silhavy, 1973</small> — Cuba (3 species)
• Heterolacurbs <small>Roewer, 1912</small> — Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands (2 species, inc. Martibianta <small>Silhavy, 1973</small>) (!After Hallan)
• Manahunca <small>Silhavy, 1973</small> — Cuba (3 species)
• Negreaella <small>Avram, 1977</small> — Cuba (5 species)
• Stenostygnus <small>Simon, 1879</small> — northern South America (1 species)
• Vestitecola <small>Silhavy, 1973</small> — Haiti (1 species)

Zairebiantinae

• Zairebiantes <small>H. Kauri, 1985</small> — Zaire (1 species)

Footnotes

References

• 's Biology Catalog: Biantidae
• (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press