Long-legged cave spiders
Temporal range: Cretaceous–present
Telema tenella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Telemidae
Fage, 1913
Diversity
16 genera, 104 species

Telemidae, also known as long-legged cave spiders, is a family of small haplogyne spiders. Most are cave dwelling spiders with six eyes, though some do not have any eyes at all. There are about 104 described species in sixteen genera.[1]

Physical features

The legs are long, thin, relatively spineless, and do not have trichobothria. They have three pairs of spinnerets, the longest of which is toward the head. Instead of book lungs, they have two pairs of tracheal spiracles. The elongate abdomen bears a hardened ridge above the pedicel running in a zigzag pattern that is more clearly defined in males than females. The pedipalp on males is oval and bag-like with a thin spermatophore. The female pedipalp does not have a claw.[2]

Genera

Main article: List of Telemidae species

As of July 2022, the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Family: Telemidae Fage, 1913". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ^ Song, D.X.; Zhu, M.S. & Chen, J. (1999), The Spiders of China, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Publishing House, Shijiazhuang