Cave Spiders
The families Leptonetidae & Telemidae in North America
Calieptoneta ♂ Sequoia NP, CA
© D. Littschwager 2007
Neoleptoneta ♂ Geode Cave, TX
© J. Krejca 2008
Evolution
The taxonomic history of leptonetids in controversial, in part due to differing opinions on the relationships between the North American species. The primary debate centered between Willis Gertsch (1974) and Paolo Brignoli (1979) which considered the North American species as either a single genus or several genera, respectively. The issue was most recently addressed by Norm Platnick (1986) who divided the North American species into several genera based on the morphology of the tibial and patellar glands.
Current analyses suggest a pattern of relationship most similar to that proposed by Brignoli, although elements of both Gertsch and Platnick are also well- supported. A preliminary tree based on morphology, 28s rDNA, and COI data is shown below (click for a full- sized view).
Of recent interest is the discovery of a cribellum in the genus Archoleptoneta, which has implications for the phylogeny of the Leptonetoidea.
A slide show of my talk at the 17th Congress of the ISA can be found here.
The taxonomic history of leptonetids in controversial, in part due to differing opinions on the relationships between the North American species. The primary debate centered between Willis Gertsch (1974) and Paolo Brignoli (1979) which considered the North American species as either a single genus or several genera, respectively. The issue was most recently addressed by Norm Platnick (1986) who divided the North American species into several genera based on the morphology of the tibial and patellar glands.
Current analyses suggest a pattern of relationship most similar to that proposed by Brignoli, although elements of both Gertsch and Platnick are also well- supported. A preliminary tree based on morphology, 28s rDNA, and COI data is shown below (click for a full- sized view).
Of recent interest is the discovery of a cribellum in the genus Archoleptoneta, which has implications for the phylogeny of the Leptonetoidea.
A slide show of my talk at the 17th Congress of the ISA can be found here.