Leptonetidae is a family of small

spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species di ...

adapted to live in dark and moist places such as caves. The family is relatively primitive having diverged around the

Middle Jurassic The Middle Jurassic is the second Epoch (geology), epoch of the Jurassic Period (geology), Period. It lasted from about 174.1 to 161.5 million years ago. Fossils of land-dwelling animals, such as dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic are relativel ...

period. They were first described by

Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by far the most prolific spider Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist in history, ...

in 1890.

Distinguishing characteristics

Leptonetids are small, with most falling between 2 and 5mm in total length. They are generally pale in color and feature a greenish or bluish shine due to microscopic texture on the cuticle of their exoskeleton. Those species which have retained their eyes, have 6 eyes set in a distinctive pattern, with posterior pair set back from the others. If a spider from this family looses a

leg A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element cap ...

, it usually separates between the patella and tibia rather than at the coxa/trochanter joint.

Habitat

Many live in caves or in

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

around the

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, and in

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and southern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

Genera

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepted the following genera: *'' Appaleptoneta'' Platnick, 1986 — United States *'' Barusia'' Kratochvíl, 1978 — Montenegro, Croatia, Greece *'' Calileptoneta'' Platnick, 1986 — United States *'' Cataleptoneta'' Denis, 1955 — Asia, Europe *'' Chisoneta'' Ledford & Griswold, 2011 — United States, Mexico *'' Falcileptoneta'' Komatsu, 1970 — Japan, Korea *'' Jingneta'' Wang & Li, 2020 *'' Leptoneta'' Simon, 1872 — Europe, Asia, Algeria *'' Leptonetela'' Kratochvíl, 1978 — Greece, Asia *'' Longileptoneta'' Seo, 2015 — Korea *'' Masirana'' Kishida, 1942 — Japan, Korea *'' Montanineta'' Ledford & Griswold, 2011 — United States *'' Neoleptoneta'' Brignoli, 1972 — Mexico *'' Ozarkia'' Ledford & Griswold, 2011 — United States *'' Paraleptoneta'' Fage, 1913 — Algeria, Italy *'' Protoleptoneta'' Deltshev, 1972 — Europe *'' Rhyssoleptoneta'' Tong & Li, 2007 — China *'' Sulcia'' Kratochvíl, 1938 — Europe *'' Tayshaneta'' Ledford & Griswold, 2011 — United States *'' Teloleptoneta'' Ribera, 1988 — Portugal *'' Yueleptoneta'' Tong, 2022 Two genera have been moved to the family Archoleptonetidae: *'' Archoleptoneta'' Gertsch, 1974 — United States *'' Darkoneta'' Ledford & Griswold, 2010 — North America, Central America

References

External links

Araneomorphae families {{Araneomorphae-stub

Distinguishing characteristics

Habitat

Genera

See also

References

Further reading

External links