Megabunus

Megabunus is a genus of harvestmen with six known recent species. All occur in Europe, mostly in the vicinity of the Alps.

Megabunus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Suborder:
Family:
Subfamily:
Platybuninae
Genus:
Megabunus

Meade, 1855
Type species
Megabunus insignis
Meade, 1855
Species

See text.

Diversity
6 species

In Megabunus, the pedipalps are armed with strong ventral spines, especially on the femur, probably to hold fast to prey.[1]

Name

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek mega "big" and -bunus, which is a common ending for certain opilionid genera.

Species

  • Megabunus armatus (Kulczynski, 1887) (Tirols, Slovenia)
  • Megabunus bergomas Chemini, 1985 (Italy)
  • Megabunus diadema (Fabricius, 1779) (Western Europe)
  • Megabunus lesserti Schenkel, 1927 (Germany, Austria, Switzerland; possibly a variation of M. armatus)
  • Megabunus rhinoceros (Canestrini, 1872) (Swiss Alps)
  • Megabunus vignai Martens, 1978 (Italy)

Footnotes

  1. Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007: 327

References

  • Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Phalangiidae
  • Pinto-da-Rocha, R., Machado, G. & Giribet, G. (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-02343-9

Further reading

  • Martens, Jochen (1978): Spinnentiere, Arachnida, Weberknechte, Opiliones, ser. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands (Dahl,Friedrich ed.), vol. 64. VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena


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