''Fumontana'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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

that occurs in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

) with one described species, ''F. deprehendor''.

Biogeography

While members of the family Triaenochychidae are well represented in western North America, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and Japan, ''F. deprehendor'' is the first species found in the eastern United States. The

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

millipede Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...

genus '' Choctella'' shows a similar distribution, suggesting they both stem from the same

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

n fauna. Certain aspects of its anatomy (such as position and form of the eye tubercle, and the male genitalia) make it likely that it is most closely related to genera in other parts of the world, such as '' Monomontia'' in South Africa or '' Hendea'' in New Zealand. ''F. deprehendor'' is thus likely an ancient

relict A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon. Biology A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas. Geology and geomorphology In geology, a r ...

, suggesting a wide distribution of the family before the current distribution of continents.

Habitat

It was first discovered in forest litter of Greenbrier Cove,

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, whi ...

, Tennessee. Another specimen was recorded near Robbinsville, Graham County, North Carolina, under a stone in a virgin cove hardwoods forest, southeast of the first find. About 30 years later, 22 new populations were found in the region, including habitats in southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and northern Georgia. The majority was found in heights above , and they were most abundant in well decayed hemlock logs.

Name

The genus name is derived from the Latin words for "smoke" and "mountain". The species name is Latin for "one who takes by surprise".

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q3146443, from2=Q2337869 Harvestmen Arachnids of North America Fauna of the Eastern United States Endemic fauna of the United States Monotypic arachnid genera