Ammotrechidae is a family of solifuges distributed in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

and the

Caribbean Islands Almost all of the Caribbean islands are in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest island is Cuba. Other sizable islands include Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. Some of the smaller islands are re ...

. It includes 26 described

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and 95

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. Members of this family can be distinguished from members of other families by the absence of claws on tarsi of leg I, tarsal segmentation 1-2-2-(2-4),

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

s with pairs of lateroventral spines, and by males having an immovable flagellum on the mesal face of each chelicerum. The propeltidium of the Ammotrechidae is recurved. The common names used for Ammotrechidae are curve-faced solifugids and sand runners. They live in arid regions, such as dune and rocky habitats. They are carnivores which feed mainly on other invertebrates. Ammotrechidae have relatively high

metabolic rate Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...

s, which allow them to be voracious

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

s. They feed by masticating their prey and sucking out the liquids. They are preyed upon by other vertebrates. Species of Ammotrechidae are found to be cannibalistic. Males and females dig shallow burrows for protection and nesting. The species in North America are found in the South to Southwest and are rarely longer than 2 inches. Though they can be pests, they are considered beneficial because they feed on scorpions, spiders, and termites.

Genera

, the World Solifugae Catalog accepts the following twenty-six genera: *'' Ammotrecha'' Banks, 1900 *'' Ammotrechella'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Ammotrechesta'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Ammotrechinus'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Ammotrechula'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Antillotrecha'' Armas, 1994 *'' Branchia'' Muma, 1951 *'' Campostrecha'' Mello-Leitão, 1937 *'' Chileotrecha'' Maury, 1987 *'' Chinchippus'' Chamberlin, 1920 *'' Cuyanopuga'' Iuri, 2021 *'' Dasycleobis'' Mello-Leitão, 1940 *'' Eutrecha'' Maury, 1982 *'' Innesa'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Mortola'' Mello-Leitão, 1938 *'' Mummuciona'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Neocleobis'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Nothopuga'' Maury, 1976 *'' Oltacola'' Roewer, 1934 *'' Procleobis'' Kraepelin, 1899 *'' Pseudocleobis'' Pocock, 1900 *'' Saronomus'' Kraepelin, 1900 *'' Sedna'' Muma, 1971 *'' Titanopuga'' Iuri, 2021 *'' Xenotrecha'' Maury, 1982 *†'' Happlodontus'' Poinar & Santiago-Blay, 1989

References

External links

Ammotrechidae on Solpugid.com

Family Ammotrechidae - Curve-faced Solifugid on BugGuide.net

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1952661 Solifugae Arachnid families Arachnids of North America Arachnids of South America