Triregia

Triregia
	Triregia fairburni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Opiliones
Superfamily:	Triaenonychioidea
Family:	Triaenonychidae
Subfamily:	Triaenonychinae
Genus:	Triregia; Forster, 1948
Type species
	Triregia monstrosa;

Triregia is a genus of harvestmen (Opiliones) in the family Triaenonychidae. The genus is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Description

In the original description, Forster described the genus as below:

Eye mound removed from the anterior margin of cephalothorax by nearly its own diameter, with one anterior-median and one posterior-median large erect and blunt spine. Tergites 1-V fused, areas distinguished by transverse grooves which do not reach the sides. Area II and area IV each with median pair strong spines. Anterior margin of cephalothorax strongly armed with forwardly projecting spines. Area V and free tergites I-III each with transverse row of strong spines. Sternites smooth. Sternum narrowly triangular. Chelicerae small, weak, covered with a number of setose tubercles. Pedipalps strong, as long as body, armed below with strong spines. Coxa I below with numerous spines. Coxae II-IV below with low tubercles. Tarsal segments 3, 7-8, 4, 4. Distitarsal segments of legs I and II: 2, 3. Side branches on claws of legs III and IV very small, branching from halfway. Spiracle opening hidden.^[2]

T. bilineata can be identified due to a pair of small spinous tubercles on Tergal Area 4 and the posterior margin of scute, which T. monstrosa does not have. T. fairburni has a single median pair of tubercles in Areas 1-4, and an antero-median surface of carapace with five spines. The subspecies T. fairburni grata has four spinous tubercles in each of the areas 1-4, and seven spines on its carapace antero-median surface.^[3]

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Ray Forster in 1948, who named T. monstrosa (also described in the paper) as the type species.^[2] In 2020, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genus is paraphyletic, with two harvestmen genera from New Caledonia, Triconobunus and Diaenobunus showing a close relationship with different species within Triregia. The authors of the study suggested a more thorough analysis of Triregia and related genera would need to be undertaken to clarify the taxonomic relationships between the different species.^[4]

Distribution

The genus is endemic to New Zealand, found on the upper North Island, and on Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands.^[5]^[1]

Species

Species within the genus Triregia include:^[1]

Triregia bilineata (Forster, 1943)
Triregia fairburni (Forster, 1943)
Triregia monstrosa Forster, 1948

Gallery

Triregia bilineata
Triregia fairburni fairburni
Triregia fairburni grata
Triregia monstrosa

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Triregia Forster, 1948". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
^ ^a ^b Forster, R. R. (1948). "A New Sub-Family and Species of New Zealand Opiliones". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 3: 313–318. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42906020. Wikidata Q58676671.
^ Forster, R. R. (March 1963). "A Key to the New Zealand Harvestmen — Part 2". Tuatara. 11 (1). Archived from the original on 4 January 2021.
^ Baker, Caitlin M.; Sheridan, Kate; Derkarabetian, Shahan; Pérez González, Abel; Vélez, Sebastián; Giribet, Gonzalo (14 August 2020). "Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the temperate Gondwanan family Triaenonychidae (Opiliones: Laniatores) reveals pre-Gondwanan regionalisation, common vicariance, and rare dispersal". Invertebrate Systematics. 34(6): 637–660. doi:10.1071/IS19069. ISSN 1445-5226. Wikidata Q121278182.
^ Climo, F. M. (December 1973). "The systematics, Biology and Zoogeography of the land snail fauna of Great Island, Three Kings Group, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 3 (4): 565–627. doi:10.1080/03036758.1973.10421858. ISSN 0303-6758. Wikidata Q104026163.