The Stygnidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores. Name The name of the type genus is derived from Ancient Greek stygnos "diabolic being". Description Body length ranges from about one to six millimeters. The color ranges from light brown to reddish. Some Heterostygninae have white patches, stripes or spots on the dorsal scutum. Distribution The Heterostygninae are found in the Lesser Antilles, Nomoclastinae are endemic to Colombia, and the Stygninae live from north of the Tropic of Capricorn (central South America). Most species live in the Amazonian rainforest. However, half the species have only been collected once, so distribution of species is poorly known. Relationships The Stygnidae are sister to Cosmetidae and Gonyleptidae, and belong to the same group inside Gonyleptoidea as these and Cranaidae and Manaosbiidae. The Stygnidae are monophyletic. Genera See the List of Stygnidae species for a list of currently described species. Heterostygninae Roewer, 1913 Eutimesius Roewer, 1913 Innoxius Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 Minax Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 Stenostygnellus Roewer, 1913 Stygnidius Simon, 1879 Stygnoplus Simon, 1879 Timesius Simon, 1879 Yapacana Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 Nomoclastinae Roewer, 1943 Nomoclastes Sørensen, 1932 Stygninae Simon, 1879 Actinostygnoides Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942 Auranus Mello-Leitão, 1941 Iguarassua Roewer, 1943 Kaapora Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 Metaphareus Roewer, 1912 Niceforoiellus Mello-Leitão, 1941 Ortonia Wood, 1869 Paraphareus Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 Phareus Simon, 1879 Pickeliana Mello-Leitão, 1932 Planophareus Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 Protimesius Roewer, 1913 Sickesia H.E.M. Soares, 1979 Stenophareus Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943 Stenostygnoides Roewer, 1913 Stygnus Perty, 1833 Verrucastygnus Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 incertae sedis Gaibulus Roewer, 1943 Footnotes References Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Stygnopsidae (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press Harvestmen Harvestman families