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Family of spiders From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leptonetidae is a family of small spiders adapted to live in dark and moist places such as caves.[1] The family is relatively primitive having diverged around the Middle Jurassic period.[2] They were first described by Eugène Simon in 1890.[3]
Leptonetids Temporal range: | |
---|---|
Tayshaneta anopica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Leptonetidae Simon, 1890 |
Diversity | |
21 genera, 365 species | |
Leptonetids are small, with most falling between 2 and 5mm in total length.[2] They are generally pale in color and feature a greenish or bluish shine due to microscopic texture on the cuticle of their exoskeleton.[1] 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, it usually separates between the patella and tibia rather than at the coxa/trochanter joint. [4]
Many live in caves or in leaf litter around the Mediterranean, and in Eurasia, Japan and southern North America.[5]
As of April 2022[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:[5]
Two genera have been moved to the family Archoleptonetidae:[6]