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, 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 Lawrence, 1959 — Madagascar Biantella Roewer, 1927 — Cameroon Biantes Simon, 1885 — Nepal, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Seychelles Biantessus Roewer, 1949 — South Africa Biantomma Roewer, 1942 — Equatorial Guinea Clinobiantes Roewer, 1927 — Cameroon Cryptobiantes Kauri, 1962 South Africa Eubiantes Roewer, 1915 — Tanzania Fageibiantes Roewer, 1949 — Madagascar Hinzuanius Karsch, 1880 — Madagascar, Socotra, Comoros, Ethiopia Ivobiantes Lawrence, 1965 — Ivory Coast Metabiantes Roewer, 1915 — Africa Monobiantes Lawrence, 1962 — Kenya Probiantes Roewer, 1927 — India Tetebius Roewer, 1949 — Mozambique
Lacurbsinae
Eulacurbs Roewer, 1949 — Ghana Heterolacurbs Roewer, 1912 — Togo Lacurbs Sørensen, 1896 — Cameroon, Ivory Coast Metalacurbs Roewer, 1914 — western Africa Prolacurbs Roewer, 1949 — Ghana
Stenostygninae
Bidoma Silhavy, 1973 — Haiti Caribbiantes Silhavy, 1973 — Cuba Decuella Avram, 1977 — Cuba Galibrotus Silhavy, 1973 — Cuba Heterolacurbs Roewer, 1912 — Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands Manahunca Silhavy, 1973 — Cuba Negreaella Avram, 1977 — Cuba Stenostygnus Simon, 1879 — northern South America Vestitecola Silhavy, 1973 — Haiti
Zairebiantinae
Zairebiantes H. Kauri, 1985 — Zaire