The Neopilionidae are a family of harvestmen.

It has a clearly Gondwanan distribution, with species found in Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America; they probably represent relictss of that time.

The family members range in size from the small Americovibone lancafrancoae (0.9mm) to over 4mm in the Enantiobuninae.

Some species of Enantiobuninae have blue pigmentation, which is rather unusual in harvestmen.

The former family "Monoscutidae" has been subsumed within the subfamily Enantiobuninae.

Name

The family name is a contraction of Ancient Greek neo "new" and Latin Opilio, a genus of harvestman.

Subdivisions

According to the Catalogue of Life, Neopilionidae includes 3 subfamilies, which contain a total of 27 genera and 81 species.

Ballarrinae Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991

• Americovibone Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991

• Arrallaba Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991

• Ballarra Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991

• Plesioballarra Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991

• Vibone Kauri, 1961

Enantiobuninae Mello-Leitão, 1931 (incl. Monoscutidae)

• Accensus Taylor, 2025

• Acihasta Forster, 1948

• Australiscutum Taylor, 2009

• Forsteropsalis Taylor, 2011

• Maikukunui Taylor, 2025

• Mangatangi Taylor, 2013

• Megalopsalis Roewer, 1923

• Monoscutum Forster, 1948

• Neopantopsalis Taylor & Hunt, 2009

• Pakaka Taylor, 2025

• Pantopsalis Simon, 1879

• Puwere Taylor, 2025

• Shelob Taylor, 2025

• Spinicrurellum Taylor, 2025

• Templar Taylor, 2008

• Tercentenarium Taylor, 2011

• Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947

• Thrasychirus Simon, 1884

• Triascutum Taylor, 2025

• Ungoliant Taylor, 2025

Neopilioninae Lawrence, 1931

• Neopilio Lawrence, 1931

Neopilionidae incertae sedis

• Martensopsalis Giribet & Baker, 2021

Footnotes

References

• Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Neopilionidae

• (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. Harvard University Press