Several families were added in the past in order to constitute the Xanthidae, but the boundaries between Xanthidae, Parthenopidae and Goneplacidae were diluted, and the classification of some genera doubtful. By this reason was made the analysis of a typical genus of each subfamily occurring in Brazil. 50 characters were selected and coded as (0) for absence and (1) for presence. The data matrix was analysed by computer programs NTSYS and NMIX. The phenetic analysis shows the Xanthidae as a good family, but the cladistic one (Wagner tree) split them in four families: Carpiliidae, Xanthidae (with the subfamilies Menippinae, Platyxanthinae, Xanthinae and Eucratopsinae), Eriphiidae and Pilumnidae (with the subfamilies Trapeziinae and Pilumninae). Redescriptions and identifications keys for the proposed families and subfamilies are presented.
Brachyura; Xanthidae; systematic; numerical taxonomy