Rhaucus is a genus of harvestmen in the family Cosmetidae. The genus is endemic to the northern Andes in Colombia. There are currently seven described species in the genus.[1][2]

Rhaucus
Rhaucus serripes
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Opiliones
Family: Cosmetidae
Subfamily: Metergininae
Genus: Rhaucus
Simon, 1879
Type species
Rhaucus vulneratus
Simon, 1879
Species

7 species (see text)

Synonyms
List
  • Cynorta (in part) Goodnight & Goodnight, 1953
  • Megarhaucus Mello-Leitão, 1941
  • Metarhaucus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905
  • Neorhaucus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905
  • Pararhaucus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905
  • Erginus Simon, 1879

Taxonomy

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Many other species were included in the genus Rhaucus, until a taxonomic revision (in 2017) reduced the genus to a more clearly defined grouping and synonymized or transferred multiple previously described species to leave five remaining species.[1] A previously synonymized species, R. papilionaceus, was revalidated in 2018.[2]

Etymology

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Rhaucus is named for an ancient Cretian town, Rhaucus.[1]

Species

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Rhaucus contains seven species:[3] (after García et al. (2017)[1]

(Note: Rhaucus trilineatus is interpreted[3] as having been indirectly transferred to Rhaucus due to the synonymy of Metarhaucus F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 under Rhaucus in García & Kury (2017: 417).[1] There, the type species Metarhaucus fuscus Pickard-Cambridge 1905 became a junior synonym of Rhaucus serripes (Simon, 1879)), consequently leading to Metarhaucus = Rhaucus. Other species then placed in Metarhaucus at that time and similarly affected by the same synonymy have since been re-formalised into other genera).

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f García, A.F.; Kury, A.B. (2017-10-26). "Taxonomic revision of the Andean harvestman genus Rhaucus Simon, 1879 (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cosmetidae)". Zootaxa. 4338 (3): 401–440. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4338.3.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 29245710.
  2. ^ a b c García, A.F.; Ahumada-C, D. (2018-06-28). "Completing the puzzle: Another species of Rhaucus Simon, 1879 (Arachnida: Opiliones: Cosmetidae) from Colombia". Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. 42 (163): 200–206. doi:10.18257/raccefyn.611.
  3. ^ a b "Rhaucus". Kury, A. et al. (2023). WCO-Lite: World Catalogue of Opiliones. Retrieved 20 Jul 2023.