Dyspnoan  Harvestmen  -  Suborder:  Dyspnoi

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      With 409 species as of January 2024 the Dyspnoi is the third largest group of Harvestmen.  Two of its' three superfamilies occur exclusively in the northern hemisphere.  The third, the Acropsopilionoidea is represented in Australia by species from one of its' two families.  Of all the species found world-wide possibly only two may be found in the Northern Rivers.   The Atlas of Living Australia shows three records from just outside our region but, they were near enough to include the species here.

      Dyspnoan Harvestmen are amazingly varied in their appearance.  Some resemble mini monstrosities that would be at home in science fiction or horror movies.  At the other extreme there are the species of the Genus: Acropsopilio and the Genus: Cadella (from South Africa) which are more like spider caricatures with large buggy eyes on a body that seems too large to accomodate them and shorthish spindly legs that, also, seem totally out of proportion.   Despite their otherwordly appearance, none are dangerous to humans.

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      It is of course entirely possible that more species of Dyspnoan Harvestmen can be found locally.  They are however rather secretive and generally quite small.  They forage for food among leaf litter mostly and, careful searching is needed to find them.   As a group of organisms, Opiliones, in general, appear to have been somewhat neglected by the scientific community - although the Dyspnoi are probably the better known.  This lack of study, and therefore knowledge, may well have contributed to their perceived scarcity.

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​Superfamily:   Acropsopilionoidea
Family:   Acropsilionidae

      Austropsopilio altus     (likely occurrence)

​    

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      Austropsopilio novaehollandiae     (possible occurrence)

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​Taxonomy:
​​
Phylum:   Arthropoda   (Arthropods)
          > Subphylum:   Chelicerata   (Chelicerates)
                    > Class:   Arachnida   (Arachnids)  
                                        > Order:   Opiliones
                                                  > Suborder:   Dyspnoi   (Dyspnoan Harvestmen)
                                                                      > Superfamily:   Acropsopilionoidea
                                                                                > Family:   Acropsopilionidae   (Acropsopilionid Harvestmen)
                                                                                                              > Genus:  Austropsopilio
                                                                                                                        > Species:   A. altus  (*)
                                                                                                                        > Species:   A. novaehollandiae  (^)

*  =  likely
^  =  possibly

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References  and  links:

​>      Kury, A.B.,  (1999 onwards) 'Aracnolab - Aracnologia MNRJ.'  Museu Nacional/UFRJ website.  Online at:  https://mndi.museunacional.ufrj.br/aracnologia/aracnol.htm
>      Pinto da Rocha, R.,  Machado, G.    and  Giribet, G.,  (2007).   'Harvestmen: The Biology of Opiliones.'   Harvard University Press, London.
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​      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvestman_phylogeny
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones​
      https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2315/taxon/622VM

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Text:
​Erik Beringen.

Photographic   contributions:

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