''Apneumonella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of long-legged cave spiders that was first described by L. Fage in 1921. It is one of several genera, including ''

Telema ''Telema'' is a genus of Telemidae, long-legged cave spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis Simon in 1882. Species it contains six species, most found in Asia, except for ''T. tenella'', found in Europe, and ''T. mayana ...

'', ''

Usofila ''Usofila'' is a genus of American long-legged cave spiders that was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1891. Originally placed with the Ochyroceratidae, it was transferred to the Telemidae in 1973. Species it contains four species, fou ...

'', and '' Cangoderces'', whose relationship within the family and to these other genera is still poorly understood.

Species

it contains three species, found in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

: '' A. jacobsoni'', '' A. oculata'', and '' A. taitatavetaensis''.

''Apneumonella jacobsoni''

''Apneumonella jacobsoni'' has been found in Sumatra and Malaysia. It is the first of the family Telemidae to be found in tropical Asia. This species is similar in appearance to those of the family

Ochyroceratidae Ochyroceratidae is a six-eyed spider family, with 165 described species in ten genera. They are common inhabitants of caves and the tropical forest litter of South Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and South America. Considered an ecological counterpar ...

, but several features, including the simple chelicerae, colulus, and the respiratory system consisting of tracheae with four separated stigmata, show that it belongs in the family Telemidae. The first specimen was found in Malaysia, and though the morphology of the genitalia could have earned it a new genus, because the specimen was female, it was instead provisionally placed in existing genus ''Apneumonella'', though it could also have fit in '' Cangoderces''. ''Apneumonella jacobsoni'' is only known from a single female specimen. Whether or not it belongs in this genus is impossible to say without a described male, and some claim that it would fit better in Cangoderces.

''Apneumonella oculata''

The first described species of the genus was represented by an adult female found in a cave in Tanzania. Instead of being completely adapted to cave life like many species of ''Telema'', ''A. oculata'' still retains characteristics of life outside caves, including retaining its eyes, at least partial skin pigmentation, and relatively short legs. The abdomen is white, though parts of the carapace, mouth,

colulus Cribellum literally means "little sieve", and in biology the term generally applies to anatomical structures in the form of tiny perforated plates. In certain groups of diatoms it refers to microscopically punctured regions of the frustule, or ...

, and some other parts are red to brown. The carapace is slightly longer than wide, truncated in the rear, and convex toward the middle, slowly sloping in the thoracic part. There are six eyes in total. This species was placed among the ''Leptonetidae'' in the subfamily ''Teleminae'', as but the relative proportions of the legs doesn't quite fit. The formula I

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1876395 Telemidae genera Spiders of Africa Telemidae

Species

''Apneumonella jacobsoni''

''Apneumonella oculata''

See also

References