Caucnemastoma Martens, 2006
Medium sized nemastomatid, peculiar for males, exhibiting a large club-shaped apophysis with a circular glandular pore-field. The penis is very long and narrow and the glans penis is not set off from the truncus but is covered with prominent spines. The genus is rare and the few records are from distant localities in the north-western Caucasus.
Taxonomy and Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
Martens (2006) assumed relationships between the groups Giljarovia, Nemaspela and Nemastoma based on male genital morphology characterized by a strait stylus. Giljarovia and Caucnemastoma share the enormous male cheliceral apophyses and relationship of Caucnemastoma golovatchi might be closest to G. tenbericosa that appears isolated within Giljarovia. Both these genera show some male genital morphological relationship towards Nemastoma, exhibiting a bent base of the penis and a prominent spination of the glans.
Ecology and Life History
Records are from montane (800 m) to alpine habitats up to 2800 m where Caucnemastoma has been collected from leaf litter and above the tree-line from under stones.
References
Martens, J. 2006. Weberknechte aus dem Kaukasus (Arachnida, Opiliones, Nemastomatidae), Senckenbergiana biologica 86 (2):145-210.
Snegovaya, N.Y., Chumachenko, Y.A. 2011. Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the yew and box-tree grove of the Caucasian State Natural Biospheric Reserve, Russia. Kavkazskii Entomologicheskii Byulleten, 7 (2): 115-124.
Credits
Page created by Axel L. Schönhofer. Angela DiDomenico helped improve the English.
Taxonomy and Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
Martens (2006) assumed relationships between the groups Giljarovia, Nemaspela and Nemastoma based on male genital morphology characterized by a strait stylus. Giljarovia and Caucnemastoma share the enormous male cheliceral apophyses and relationship of Caucnemastoma golovatchi might be closest to G. tenbericosa that appears isolated within Giljarovia. Both these genera show some male genital morphological relationship towards Nemastoma, exhibiting a bent base of the penis and a prominent spination of the glans.
Ecology and Life History
Records are from montane (800 m) to alpine habitats up to 2800 m where Caucnemastoma has been collected from leaf litter and above the tree-line from under stones.
References
Martens, J. 2006. Weberknechte aus dem Kaukasus (Arachnida, Opiliones, Nemastomatidae), Senckenbergiana biologica 86 (2):145-210.
Snegovaya, N.Y., Chumachenko, Y.A. 2011. Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the yew and box-tree grove of the Caucasian State Natural Biospheric Reserve, Russia. Kavkazskii Entomologicheskii Byulleten, 7 (2): 115-124.
Credits
Page created by Axel L. Schönhofer. Angela DiDomenico helped improve the English.
