''Sabacon'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

harvestman The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs (see below). , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total n ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023).

Description

Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened

pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to ...

s with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Although the small eye tubercle is usually not ornamented, there is a spine on one Nepalese species. Males have long, thin legs, females are stouter. While the Asian and North American species are easy to differentiate from one another by male genital traits. The various European species are very similar to each other, and can be closely related to ''

Sabacon cavicolens ''Sabacon cavicolens'' is a species of harvestman. Description Males are a bit longer than 2 mm, females 5 mm. Distribution It was originally described from Bat Cave, Carter County, Kentucky and New Hampshire, and a year later found u ...

'' from the eastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Another American species ''

Sabacon mitchelli ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'', which, like the larger ''S. cavicolens'' also occurs in the eastern

, notably lacks cheliceral glands in the male. Species from the western

seem closely related to Asian forms. ''

Sabacon astoriensis ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'', initially collected from dried seaweed and debris in

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

dunes from

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, is morphologically similar to the Asian species ''

Sabacon dentipalpis ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' and ''

Sabacon makinoi ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

''.

Range

''Sabacon'' species exhibits a wide, yet highly disjunct, distribution. Species can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, though individual species usually have very restricted distributions. The genus ''Sabacon'' is widespread in the temperate northern hemisphere, even extending into the subarctic, with the most southern records from caves in the southeastern

and high elevations in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. The center of diversification seems to be in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, where many species were described from Japan,

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and Nepal. Some species occur in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Ecology

Almost all ''Sabacon'' species prefer moist, cool microhabitats, and many species live in

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

s, but none are modified for cave life. Outside of caves they are often found in forests or shaded

ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...

Etymology

The name of the type genus is supposedly derived from "

Sabacon ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althou ...

", an

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

ruler. Consequentially, genus name is treated as masculine, although before its derivation was clarified some authors or online sources mistakenly treated it as neuter, ''e.g.'' 's Biology Catalog.

Fossil record

There is one extinct species †''

Sabacon claviger ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'', known from

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Baltic amber. Another named species †''

Sabacon bachofeni ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' also from Baltic amber was later revised as its junior synonym. Staręga (2002: p. 602) indicates that for all such the Baltic Amber material, "The Eocene locality fits into the present range of the genus ''Sabacon''"

Relationships

Sabaconidae ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

belongs to the superfamily Ischyropsalidoidea. The family

originally consisted of just the genus ''Sabacon'', though ''

Taracus ''Taracus'' is a genus of harvestman, or Opiliones, typically found living in limestone and lava caves in the United States. They grow to a size of . Taxonomy ''Taracus'' contains the following species, per World Catalog of Opiliones. Of the 14 ...

'' was later added to the family. ''

Hesperonemastoma ''Hesperonemastoma'' is a genus of harvestmen in the family Taracidae Taracidae is a family of harvestmen in the order Opiliones The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an Order (biology), order of arachnids, Common name, colloquially know ...

'' was later transferred in to further expand this family after molecular studies confirmed it was closely related to ''Taracus''. However, a new family,

Taracidae Taracidae is a family of harvestmen in the order Opiliones The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an Order (biology), order of arachnids, Common name, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs (see bel ...

, was then erected for ''Hesperonemastoma'' and ''Taracus'', leaving Sabaconidae restored once again with just a single genus (''i.e.'' monogeneric). Currently,

is thought to be more closely related to

than

Ischyropsalididae Ischyropsalididae is a family of harvestmen The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an Order (biology), order of arachnids, Common name, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs (see below). , over 6,6 ...

. The internal relationships of Sabaconidae are poorly understood.

Taxonomy

''Sabacon'' contains the following species, per World Catalog of Opiliones. Of the 59 described species (as of 2023), two are further subdivided into subspecies. * ''

Sabacon aigoual ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Martens, 2015 (France) * '' Sabacon akiyoshiensis'' Suzuki, 1963 (Japan) * '' Sabacon altomontanus'' Martens, 1983 (France) * ''

'' Shear, 1975 (USA: Oregon) * ''

Sabacon beatae ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon beishanensis'' Martens, 2015 (China) * '' Sabacon briggsi'' Shear, 1975 (USA: California) * '' Sabacon bryantii'' (Banks, 1898) (USA: Alaska) * ''

'' (Packard, 1884) (USA, Canada) ncluding ''Sabacon jonesi''">Sabacon_jonesi.html" ;"title="ncluding ''Sabacon jonesi">ncluding ''Sabacon jonesi''* ''Sabacon chomolongmae'' Martens, 1972 (Nepal) * † ''

'' (Menge, 1854) [including † ''

'' Roewer, 1939 (Russia in Baltic amber)]. * ''Sabacon crassipalpis'' (Ludwig Carl Christian Koch, L. Koch, 1879) (Russia) * ''

'' Suzuki, 1949 (Japan) * '' Sabacon dhaulagiri'' Martens, 1972 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon distinctus'' Suzuki, 1974 (Japan) * '' Sabacon franzi'' Roewer, 1953 (Spain) * '' Sabacon gonggashan'' Tsurusaki & Song, 1993 (China: Sichuan) * '' Sabacon hinkukhola'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon imamurai'' Suzuki, 1964 (Japan) * '' Sabacon iriei'' Suzuki, 1974 (Japan) * '' Sabacon ishizuchi'' Suzuki, 1974 (Japan) * ''

Sabacon jaegeri ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Martens, 2015 (China: Sichuan) * ''

Sabacon jiriensis ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Martens, 1972 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon kangding'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon maipokhari'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * ''

'' Suzuki, 1949 ** ''Sabacon makinoi makinoi'' Suzuki, 1949 (Japan, South Korea) ** ''Sabacon makinoi sugimotoi'' Suzuki & Tsurusaki, 1983 (Japan) * '' Sabacon martensi'' Tsurusaki & Song, 1993 (China: Sichuan) * '' Sabacon minshanensis'' Martens, 2015 (China: Sichuan) * '' Sabacon minutissimus'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * ''

'' Crosby & Bishop, 1924 (USA: North Carolina) * '' Sabacon monacanthus'' Zhao, Martens & Zhang, 2018 (China: Yunnan) * '' Sabacon multiserratus'' Martens, 2015 (China: Shaanxi) * '' Sabacon nishikawai'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal, India) * '' Sabacon occidentalis'' (Banks, 1894) (Canada, USA: Pacific Northwest) * '' Sabacon okadai'' Suzuki, 1941 (China: Liaoning) * '' Sabacon palpogranulatus'' Martens, 1972 (Nepal) * ''

Sabacon paradoxus ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Simon, 1879 (Pyrenees) (France, Spain, Andorra: i.e. Pyrenees) * '' Sabacon pasonianus'' Luque, 1991 (Spain) * '' Sabacon pauperoserratus'' Martens, 2015 (China: Shaanxi) * '' Sabacon petarberoni'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon picosantrum'' Martens, 1983 (Spain) * '' Sabacon pygmaeus'' Miyosi, 1942 (Japan) * '' Sabacon relictoides'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon relictus'' Marten, 1972 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon rossopacificus'' Martens, 2015 (Russia) * ''

Sabacon rupinala ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the monotypic harvestman family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which is unique among harvestmen. Althoug ...

'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon satoikioi'' Miyosi, 1942 (Japan) * '' Sabacon schawalleri'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon sergeidedicatus'' Martens, 1989 (Russia: Siberia) * '' Sabacon sheari'' Cokendolpher, 1984 (USA: Oregon) * '' Sabacon simbuakhola'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * ''

Sabacon simoni ''Sabacon'' is a genus of the Monotypic taxon, monotypic harvestman Family (biology), family Sabaconidae, with 59 species (as of 2023). Description Species of the genus ''Sabacon'' have usually thickened pedipalps with stiff, fine hairs, which ...

'' Dresco, 1952 (France, Italy) * '' Sabacon sineglandula'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon siskiyou'' Shear, 1975 (USA: California, Oregon) * '' Sabacon suzukii'' Zhao, Martens & Zhang, 2018 (Japan) * '' Sabacon thakkolanus'' Martens, 2015 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon unicornis'' Martens, 1972 (Nepal) * '' Sabacon viscayanus'' Simon, 1881 :* ''Sabacon viscayanus ramblaianus'' Martens, 1983 (France) :* ''Sabacon viscayanus viscayanus'' Simon, 1881 (Spain) * '' Sabacon zateevi'' Trilikauskas & Azarkina, 2021 (Russia)

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1926533, from2=Q3110785 Harvestmen Arachnids of Asia Cave arachnids Taxa described in 1879