Abstract1. Arthropod diversity and non-flying arthropod food web are strongly influenced by habitat components related to plant architecture and habitat structural complexity. However, we still poorly understand the relationship between arthropod diversity and the vegetation structure at different spatial scales. Here, we examined how harvestmen assemblages are distributed across six local scale habitats (trees, dead trunks, palms, bushes, herbs and litter), and along three proxies of vegetation structure (number of palms, number of trees and litter depth) at mesoscale.2. We collected harvestmen using cryptic manual search in 30 permanent plots of 250 m at Reserva Ducke, Amazonas, Brazil. The 30 plots cover approximately 25 km2 of upland forests. At a local scale, harvestmen were most diverse and abundant on trees. The likely preference of trees by harvestmen may be related to the variety of local microhabitats offered by large trees. However, despite the strong link between number of harvestman species and individuals with large trees, only harvestmen assemblages composition were related with number of trees and with number of palms, at mesoscale.3. Harvestman richness and abundance were not related with any vegetation structure predictor at mesoscale. Therefore, areas of upland forest in the central Amazon with large trees and palms do not harbor more harvestman species nor individuals, but are suitable to maintain different harvestmen assemblages.

Between 1998 and 2011, the Venezuelan arachnologist Manuel Ángel González-Sponga (GS) published a series of taxonomic papers devoted to the Pholcidae of Venezuela. Of his 22 new genera, 20 were monotypic when described, suggesting a high percentage of synonyms. We studied his descriptions and as far as accessible his type specimens and propose the following new generic synonymies: Autana GS, 2011 = Mesabolivar GS, 1998; Ayomania GS, 2005 and Venezuela Koçak & Kemal, 2008 (new replacement names for Falconia GS, 2003) = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; Carbonaria GS, 2009 = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; Caruaya GS, 2011 = Mesabolivar GS, 1998; Coroia GS, 2005 = Artema Walckenaer, 1837; Maimire GS, 2009 = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; Moraia GS, 2011 = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; Nasuta GS, 2009 = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893; Portena GS, 2011 = Metagonia Simon, 1893; Rioparaguanus GS, 2005 = Mesabolivar GS, 1998; Tonoro GS, 2009 = Litoporus Simon, 1893; Sanluisi GS, 2003 = Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893. Three of the type species are also specific synonyms: Autana autanensis GS, 2011 = Mesabolivar aurantiacus (Mello-Leitão, 1930); Coroia magna GS, 2005 = Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837; Tonoro multispinae GS, 2009 = Litoporus uncatus (Simon, 1893). Six species that González-Sponga described under Blechroscelis (a genus previously synonymized with Priscula Simon, 1893) are all synonyms of Mesabolivar eberhardi Huber, 2000 (B. acuoso GS, 2011; B. araguanus GS, 2011; B. blechroscelis GS, 2011; B. copeyensis GS, 2011; B. cordillerano GS, 2011; B. andinensis GS, 2011). In addition, and unrelated to González-Sponga's work, we synonymize the Central Asian monotypic genus Ceratopholcus Spassky, 1934 with Crossopriza Simon, 1893; we synonymize the Chinese species Pholcus acerosus Peng & Zhang, 2011 with Pholcus fragillimus Strand, 1907 and remove the Malaysian monotypic genus Mystes Bristowe, 1938, previously thought to be the only East Asian representative of the subfamily Ninetinae, to the family Filistatidae.

Among Opiliones (Arachnida), there are many taxa either with no familial assignment or erroneously located in their current family. This is the case of Ethobunus pilosus, formerly in Phalangodidae and before this work in Zalmoxidae. To assess the phylogenetic position of this taxon, we started with a revision of the male genitalia; followed by the inclusion of three molecular markers: nuclear 28S and 18S, and mitochondrial protein-encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from E. pilosus in the previously published phylogenies of the Samooidea + Zalmoxoidea clade. The results revealed that E. pilosus is a derived lineage within the family Icaleptidae, thus it is transferred from Zalmoxidae, and the new name Trypophobica gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate it, with the new combination Trypophobica pilosa comb. nov. With its inclusion in Icaleptidae, and the description of Trypophobica llama sp. nov., the current diagnosis of the family needs updating, and further morphological characters should be considered as putative synapomorphies. In addition, the reconstruction of the ancestral ranges of Icaleptidae suggests a mid-Cretaceous origin c. 104 Ma in South America, with a subsequent colonisation to north Mesoamerica c. 80 Ma.

Some taxonomic changes are made in Amazonian Stygnidae, based on reinterpretation of generic boundaries: (1) the hitherto monotypic genus Jime Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho, 2012 is newly recorded from Venezuela: Jime praecursor spec. nov. (Tobogán de la Selva, Amazonas state) is described and a new generic diagnosis is provided. The genital chaetotaxy is interpreted for the two known species of Jime, and (2) three species which have been originally described as Stygnoplus Simon, 1879 are herein newly transferred to Yapacana Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997 (hitherto monotypic): Y. ianomami (Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov., Y. neblina (Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov., and Y. tapirapeco (Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho, 2012) comb. nov. A key for identification of males of the genus Yapacana is offered.

Among the Amazonian families of harvestmen the members of Stygnidae are better known due to the recent revision of the family and efforts of specialists describing new taxa in the last few years. Species of Amazonian genus Auranus Mello-Leitão, 1941, have been collected in several inventories that were carried out in different locations of the Amazon basin. In this paper we provide a new diagnosis for Auranus, and the description of two new species: Auranus leonidas sp. nov. and Auranus xerxes sp. nov. from the Brazilian states of Roraima and Amazonas, respectively. We also offer complementary genital descriptions of Auranus hehu Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012, Auranus parvus Mello-Leitão, 1941, and Auranus tepui Pinto-da-Rocha & Tourinho 2012. Five species are recognized in Auranus, including the two new species described in this paper. The lamina parva modified into a calyx is proposed as putative synapomorphy for the genus Auranus. Therefore, A. hoeferscovitorum, which does not possess this character, is removed from Auranus. Instead we propose for it the new combination Verrucastygnus hoeferscovitorum comb. nov. We also provide a key to the males of Auranus, and a map with the distribution for all species examined in this work.