Erythroididae

Erythroididae is a taxonomic name that has appeared in zoological literature as the designation of a family within the biological hierarchy. The name is formed from erythros, the Greek word for red, combined with the standard -idae suffix used for animal families. The exact concept of what Erythroididae includes has varied among authors and over time.

Taxonomic status: There is no single, universally accepted circumscription of Erythroididae. In some classifications the name has been proposed for a family within a particular order or clade, while other classifications treat the included taxa as part of different families or do not recognize the group at all. Because of these differences, there is no stable list of genera or species universally assigned to Erythroididae.

Genera and species: When Erythroididae is cited, the set of genera that it comprises changes with revisions in higher-level taxonomy and with new molecular data. This has led to uncertainty about which organisms are correctly placed in the family.

Characteristics: Due to the lack of a stable circumscription, diagnostic characters attributed to Erythroididae are inconsistent across sources. In some accounts, descriptions are contingent on the included taxa rather than on a fixed set of traits.

Distribution and ecology: Any stated distribution or ecological role for Erythroididae depends entirely on the particular taxa one includes in the family, and there is no overarching, widely agreed-upon distribution.

See also: Taxonomic ranks, Animal families, Erythro- as a nomenclatural element.