Biology:Leiobunum politum
| Leiobunum politum | |
|---|---|
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| Leiobunum politum on a leaf in New Jersey | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Opiliones |
| Family: | Sclerosomatidae |
| Genus: | Leiobunum |
| Species: | L. politum
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| Binomial name | |
| Leiobunum politum Weed, 1889
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Leiobunum politum is a species of harvestman in the family Sclerosomatidae. It is a medium-sized North American species widely distributed in the eastern and southeastern United States, and is especially common in the Appalachian Mountains.[1][2][3] [4]
Description
Leiobunum politum is a medium-sized harvestman. Males are about 3.5–5.0 mm in body length and females about 4.5–6.5 mm.[4] The body is generally yellow-brown, with a dark brown to black ocular tubercle bearing small sharp spines.[4]
Males usually lack prominent dorsal markings, while females may show a variably developed median abdominal mark.[4] The species can be distinguished from closely related species by the morphology of the male penis and the size of the genital operculum.[4]
Distribution
Leiobunum politum occurs widely across the eastern and southeastern United States.[4] It has been reported from the Appalachian Mountains from Maryland south to northern Florida, and westward into Mississippi, Louisiana, eastern Arkansas, and Illinois.[4]
Specimens have been collected throughout much of the Appalachian region and adjacent areas, where the species inhabits forested habitats.[4]
Taxonomy
Leiobunum politum was originally described by Clarence M. Weed in 1889 from Champaign County, Illinois.[4] Early descriptions relied heavily on characters such as body size, leg length, and coloration.[4]
Later studies found that many of these characters are highly variable and not always reliable for distinguishing species of Leiobunum.[4] McGhee (1977) demonstrated that some specimens previously identified as L. politum actually represent the similar species Leiobunum bracchiolum, which had often been confused with it due to overlapping external features.[4]
More reliable characters for separating the species include the morphology and size of the male penis and the length of the genital operculum.[4]
References
- ↑ "Leiobunum politum Report". https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1014056. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ↑ "Leiobunum politum". https://www.gbif.org/species/6907714. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ↑ "Leiobunum politum species Information". https://bugguide.net/node/view/40542. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 McGhee, Charles R. (1977). "The politum group (bulbate species) of Leiobunum (Arachnida: Phalangida: Phalangiidae) of North America". The Journal of Arachnology 3: 151–163.
Further reading
- Shultz, J. W.. "Leiobunum politum". The Harvestmen of Maryland. http://www.life.umd.edu/entm/shultzlab/opiliomd/Lpolitum/index.htm. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
Wikidata ☰ Q2713176 entry
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