Ricinulei Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Cryptocellus goodnighti | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Ricinulei Thorell, 1876 |
Family: | Ricinoididae Ewing, 1929 |
Exant genera | |
For fossil genera, see text |
Ricinulei is a small order of arachnids. Like most arachnids, they are predatory, eating small arthropods. They occur today in west-central Africa (Ricinoides) and the Americas (Cryptocellus and Pseudocellus) as far north as Texas. As of 2021, 91 extant species of ricinuleids have been described worldwide, all in the single family Ricinoididae.[1] In older works they are sometimes referred to as Podogona. Due to their obscurity they do not have a proper common name, though in academic literature they are occasionally referred to as hooded tickspiders.
In addition to the three living genera, there are fossil species from the upper Carboniferous of Euramerica and the Cretaceous Burmese amber.