Cladolasma Suzuki, 1963
Cladolasma consists of now three species from Thailand, Japan and China, spanning a disjunct distribution area of several thousand kilometers. The genus is characterized by a combination of a single lateral hood processes and an ornamentation consisting of small cells. Male genital morphology is available for C. parvulum only, showing a short and small penial stylus, unusual in Ortholasmatinae (Suzuki, 1963, 1974, Shear and Gruber 1983, Schwendinger and Gruber 1992, Shear 2010, Zhang and Zhang 2013).
Taxonomy and Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
Relationships point to Dendrolasma as closest relative based on penial and external morphology. Due to the disjunct distribution, more species are likely to be discovered in south-eastern Asia, as have recently with Cladolasam damingshan. Comparison of C. parvula with this species show the penial stylus very short and pointed, thus differing from other Ortholasmatinae. With respect to the morphological heterogeneity within Cladolasma and Dendrolasma, the generic concept of Cladolasma is in need of investigation, especially as further species are likely to become available (Shear 2010, Zhang and Zhang 2013).
Ecology and Life History
Cladolasma parvulum from Japan is known from around 1500 m in damp beech forest often in association with Carex sedges (Suzuki 1974). In Thailand, deep litter of high altitude cloud forests is inhabited (Schwendinger and Gruber 1992, Zhang and Zhang 2013). In China Cladolasma damingshan was reported from 1200 m from subtropical evergreem forest (Zhang and Zhang 2013)
References
Shear, W. A. and J. Gruber. 1983. The opilionid subfamily Ortholasmatinae (Opiliones, Troguloidea, Nemastomatidae). American Museum Novitates 2757:1-65.
Schwendinger, P. J. and J. Gruber. 1992. A new Dendrolasma (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae) from Thailand. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 9 (2):57-60.
Suzuki, S. 1963. Cladolasma parvula gen. et sp. n. (Trogulidae: Opiliones) from Japan. Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses 36 (1):40-44.
Suzuki, S. 1974. Redescription of Dendrolasma parvula (Suzuki) from Japan (Arachnida, Opiliones, Dyspnoi). Journal of Science of the Hiroshima University, Series B, Division 1 (Zoology) 25 (1):121-128.
Shear, W. A. 2010. New species and records of ortholasmatine harvestmen from México, Honduras, and the western United States (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae, Ortholasmatinae). ZooKeys 52:9-45.
Zhang, C., Zhang, F. (2013) Description of a new Cladolasma (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae: Ortholasmatinae) species from China. Zootaxa, 3691 (4): 443–452.
Credits
Page created by Axel L. Schönhofer. Dave Carlson helped improve the English.
Taxonomy and Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
Relationships point to Dendrolasma as closest relative based on penial and external morphology. Due to the disjunct distribution, more species are likely to be discovered in south-eastern Asia, as have recently with Cladolasam damingshan. Comparison of C. parvula with this species show the penial stylus very short and pointed, thus differing from other Ortholasmatinae. With respect to the morphological heterogeneity within Cladolasma and Dendrolasma, the generic concept of Cladolasma is in need of investigation, especially as further species are likely to become available (Shear 2010, Zhang and Zhang 2013).
Ecology and Life History
Cladolasma parvulum from Japan is known from around 1500 m in damp beech forest often in association with Carex sedges (Suzuki 1974). In Thailand, deep litter of high altitude cloud forests is inhabited (Schwendinger and Gruber 1992, Zhang and Zhang 2013). In China Cladolasma damingshan was reported from 1200 m from subtropical evergreem forest (Zhang and Zhang 2013)
References
Shear, W. A. and J. Gruber. 1983. The opilionid subfamily Ortholasmatinae (Opiliones, Troguloidea, Nemastomatidae). American Museum Novitates 2757:1-65.
Schwendinger, P. J. and J. Gruber. 1992. A new Dendrolasma (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae) from Thailand. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 9 (2):57-60.
Suzuki, S. 1963. Cladolasma parvula gen. et sp. n. (Trogulidae: Opiliones) from Japan. Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses 36 (1):40-44.
Suzuki, S. 1974. Redescription of Dendrolasma parvula (Suzuki) from Japan (Arachnida, Opiliones, Dyspnoi). Journal of Science of the Hiroshima University, Series B, Division 1 (Zoology) 25 (1):121-128.
Shear, W. A. 2010. New species and records of ortholasmatine harvestmen from México, Honduras, and the western United States (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae, Ortholasmatinae). ZooKeys 52:9-45.
Zhang, C., Zhang, F. (2013) Description of a new Cladolasma (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae: Ortholasmatinae) species from China. Zootaxa, 3691 (4): 443–452.
Credits
Page created by Axel L. Schönhofer. Dave Carlson helped improve the English.
