Arachnids of North Carolina
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Comments
Order:
Araneae - Spiders
Opiliones - Harvestmen
Pseudoscorpiones - Pseudoscorpions
Scorpiones - Scorpions
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROPSOPILIONIDAE-
AGELENIDAE-Funnel Weavers
AMAUROBIIDAE-Hacklemesh Weavers
ANTRODIAETIDAE-Folding Trapdoor Spiders
ANYPHAENIDAE-Ghost Spiders
ARANEIDAE-Orb Weavers
ATYPIDAE-Purseweb Spiders
BUTHIDAE-
CADDIDAE-
CHEIRACANTHIIDAE-
CHEIRIDIIDAE-
CHELIFERIDAE-
CHERNETIDAE-
CHTHONIIDAE-
CICURINIDAE-
CLUBIONIDAE-Sac Spiders
CORINNIDAE-Antmimics and Ground Sac Spiders
COSMETIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
CTENIDAE-Wandering Spiders
CYBAEIDAE-
DEINOPIDAE-Ogrefaced spider
DESIDAE-
DICTYNIDAE-Mesh Web Weavers
DYSDERIDAE-
EUCTENIZIDAE-Wafer-lid Trapdoor Spiders
FILISTATIDAE-
GARYPINIDAE-
GNAPHOSIDAE-Ground Spiders
HAHNIIDAE-
HALONOPROCTIDAE-
HYPOCHILIDAE-
LARCIDAE-
LEPTONETIDAE-
LINYPHIIDAE-Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders
LIOCRANIDAE-Liocranid Sac Spiders
LYCOSIDAE-Wolf Spiders
MICROHEXURIDAE-
MIMETIDAE-Pirate spiders
MITURGIDAE-Prowling Spiders
MYSMENIDAE-
NEOBISIIDAE-
NEPHILIDAE-
NESTICIDAE-Scaffold Web Spiders
OECOBIIDAE-Wall spiders
OONOPIDAE-
OXYOPIDAE-Lynx Spiders
PHALANGIIDAE-
PHALANGODIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
PHILODROMIDAE-Running Crab Spiders
PHOLCIDAE-
PHONOGNATHIDAE-
PHRUROLITHIDAE-
PISAURIDAE-Nursery Web Spiders
SABACONIDAE-
SALTICIDAE-Jumping Spiders
SCLEROSOMATIDAE-
SCYTODIDAE-
SEGESTRIIDAE-
SICARIIDAE-
SPARASSIDAE-Giant Crab Spiders
STERNOPHORIDAE-
TARACIDAE-
TETRAGNATHIDAE-Long-jawed Orb Weavers
THERIDIIDAE-Cobweb Spiders
THERIDIOSOMATIDAE-Ray Spiders
THOMISIDAE-Crab Spiders
TITANOECIDAE-
TRACHELIDAE-
TRIAENONYCHIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
TRIDENCHTHONIIDAE-
ULOBORIDAE-Cribellate Orb Weavers
VAEJOVIDAE-
ZOROPSIDAE-False Wolf Spiders & Wandering Spiders
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Phalangodidae Members:
Bishopella laciniosa
Erebomaster acanthinus
Theromaster brunneus
NC
Records
Theromaster brunneus
(Banks, 1902) - No Common Name
Taxonomy
Order:
OPILIONES
Suborder:
Laniatores
Superfamily:
Travunioidea
Family:
Phalangodidae
Comments:
One of two species in this genus, both of which occur in the East (Kury, 2003) but with only brunneus recorded in North Carolina. Placed in the Travnuiidae by Kury (2002), which includes Erebomaster but not Bishopella, which is retained within the Phalangodidae.
Species Comment:
The type locality for this species is the "valley of the Black Mountains" in Yancey County, where W. Beutenmuller made several collecting trips in the late 1800s. This species was described by N. Banks (1902) -- who joined Beuntemuller on one of these trips -- as Scotolemon brunnea.
Identification
Online Description/Photos:
BugGuide
Google
,
iNaturalist
,
Wikipedia
,
GBIF
Technical Description:
Briggs (1969)
Comments:
A minute, yellowish-brown Armored Harvestman. The coloration of the body ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown (Banks, 1902; Briggs, 1969). The eyes are rimmed with black and the area posterior to the ocular tubercle can be heavily mottled (Briggs, 1969).
Total Length:
2.34 mm, males (Briggs, 1969)
Adult ID:
identifiable by photo
Structural Features:
The scute of the abdomen is smooth, without obvious sutures; this contrasts with Erebomaster acanthinus, where the scute is divided (Briggs, 1969). Tarsus of the palps has three prominent pairs of spines. The legs are scabrous and the rear margin of the abdominal tergites are tuberculate. The chelicerae in the males have two forward projecting tubercles; those of the females are smooth.
Structural photos
Male reproductive structures; also shows the tubercles on the chelicerae. Collected by Carol Tingley in Watauga County, 2018-10-08
Female; no tubercles on the chelicerae. Collected by Carol Tingley in Watauga County, 2018-10-08
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments:
This species appears to be restricted to the mountains, where it has been especially widely collected, considering its dwelling deep in the leaf litter
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Deep, wet leaf litter, including that under Rhododendrons. Records come from over 6000' at Grandfather Mountain down to below 2000' at Bat Cave.
Observation Methods:
Best found by sifting leaf litter or through use of Berlese funnels
Abundance/Frequency:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
[GNR] [S3S4]
State Protection:
Arachnids are not protected under state law, although permits are needed to collect them in State Parks and other public and private nature preserves
Comments:
This is one of the most frequently collected of our montane, cryophilic harvestmen and has a fairly extensive range in the North Carolina mountains. Nonetheless, its habitat specializations probably make it vulnerable to the dessicating impacts associated with clear-cutting and it may be susceptible to both the heating and drying effects of global climate change. While populations currently appear to be fairly numerous and widespread, this species along with the other cryophilic biota of the mountains should be monitored for downward changes.
Photo Gallery for
Theromaster brunneus
- No common name
Photos: 6
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2020-08-05
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2020-08-05
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2018-10-08
Watauga Co.
Comment: Male
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2018-10-08
Watauga Co.
Comment: Male
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2018-10-08
Watauga Co.
Comment: Female
Recorded by: Carol Tingley on 2017-08-11
Avery Co.
Comment: Female
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