Catalog of Cyphophthalmi

The suborder Cyphophthalmi includes ca. 170 described species and subspecies of small Opiliones ranging from about 1-6 mm in length, found worldwide, with a rather ancient distribution. The family Sironidae is distributed in Japan, Europe and North America. The family Pettalidae follows a typical temperate Gondwanan distribution. The family Troglosironidae, endemic to New Caledonia, is the sister group to the family Neogoveidae, found in tropical South America, West Africa and the SE USA. The family Ogoveidae is endemic to West Africa where it co-occurs with members of Neogoveidae. The family Stylocellidae is restricted to Sundaland and Wallacea, reaching as far North as China. The low dispersal ability of Cyphophthalmi results in one of the highest degrees of endemism of any animal groups known to me. About 60% of the described species are only known from the type locality, although this number may also reflect the difficulty in finding these cryptic leaf-litter-inhabitants. Another interesting aspect of the cyphophthalmid diversity is their ability to undergo explosive radiations, as represented by the pettalids of New Zealand (with about 20% of the World described diversity!), Afromontane forests of South Africa, and by the sironids from the Balkans. Cyphophthalmi constitute an excellent example for studying aspects of biodiversity, endemism, biogeography, and evolutionary history.