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Family

Pocock 1897


Unidentified rhagodid                                                                                     İEdward S. Ross


Members of the family Rhagodidae are known from northeastern Africa, southwestern Asia, and the Near East.  The 98 known species are distributed among 27 genera. Rhagodalma (1 species), Rhagodax (1 species), Rhagodeca (3 species), Rhagodelbus (1 species), Rhagoderma (3 species), Rhagoderus (1 species), Rhagodes (27 species), Rhagodessa (5 species), Rhagodeya (2 species), Rhagodia (4 species), Rhagodima (2 species), Rhagodinus (2 species), Rhagodippa (1 species), Rhagodira (3 species), Rhagodista (1 species), Rhagoditta (6 species), Rhagodixa (3 species), Rhagodoca (17 species), Rhagodolus (1 species), Rhagodomma (1 species), Rhagodopa (4 species), Rhagodorimus (1 species), Rhagodorta (1 species), Rhagodopsus (1 species), Rhagoduja (1 species), Rhagodula (1 species), and Rhagoduna (4 species).  No subfamilies are recognized.

Rhagodids are readily distinguished from other members of the order Solifugae by the unique hemispherical form of their anal segment and the ventrally located anus (terminally located in all other groups of solifuges).  Rhagodids are heavy-bodied, and short-legged.  Many are brightly or contrastingly colored.  The cheliceral dentition is well developed in both sexes.  The flagellum (present only on males) is paraxially immovable and consists of two flattened, curled setae that form a curved, truncate horn-like tube on the mesal surface of the chelicera.