Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Classis: Arachnida
Ordo: Araneae
Subordo: Opisthothelae
Infraordo: Araneomorphae
Taxon: Neocribellatae
Series: Haplogynae
Superfamilia: Leptonetoidea
Familia: Telemidae
Genus: Apneumonella
Species (2): A. jacobsoni – A. oculata – A. taitatavetaensis
Name
Apneumonella Fage, 1921
Type species: Apneumonella oculata Jean-Louis Fage, 1921
Gender: feminine
References
Primary references
Fage, J.L. 1921. Sur quelques araignées apneumones. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences Paris 172: 620-622. Internet Archive BHL. Reference page.
Additional references
Brignoli, P.M. 1977: Two new spiders from Sumatra (Araneae, Telemidae and Ochyroceratidae). Zoologische mededelingen, 50(13): 221–229. ISSN: 0024-0672
Song, Y., Zhao, H-F., Luo, Y-F., Kioko, G.M., Kioko, E.N. & Li, S-Q. 2017. The first record of Telemidae from Kenya, with the description of two new species (Arachnida, Araneae). ZooKeys 725: 1–15. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.725.15059. Reference page.
Apneumonella is a genus of long-legged cave spiders that was first described by L. Fage in 1921.[2] It is one of several genera, including Telema, Usofila, and Cangoderces, whose relationship within the family and to these other genera is still poorly understood.[3]
Species
As of September 2019 it contains three species, found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Indonesia: A. jacobsoni, A. oculata, and A. taitatavetaensis.[1]
A. jacobsoni
Two species of A. jacobsoni have been described, found in Sumatra and Malaysia. It is the first of the family Telemidae to be found in tropical Asia.[3] This species is similar in appearance to those of the family Ochyroceratidae, 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.[3]
A. 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.[4]
A. oculata
The first species of the genus was 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.[2] The abdomen is white, though parts of the carapace, mouth, colulus, 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 <II <IV <III is specific to Telema tenella, but does not apply to this species. This may mean that Telema and Apneumonella belong in a separate group from that of Leptonetidae.[5]
See also
List of Telemidae species
References
"Gen. Apneumonella Fage, 1921". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2019. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
Fage, L. (1921). "Sur quelques araignées apneumones". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences de Paris (in French). 172: 620–622.
Brignoli, P.M. (1977). "Two new spiders from Sumatra (Araneae, Telemidae and Ochyroceratidae)". Zoologische Mededelingen. 50: 221–229.
Baert, L. "Telemidae, Mysmenidae and Ochyroceratidae from Cameroon (Araneae): Scientific report of the Belgian Mount Cameroon Expeditions 1981 and 1983 (no. 13)". Biologisch Jaarboek Dodonaea. 53: 44.
Simon, E.; Fage, L. (1922). "Araneae des grottes de l'Afrique orientale. In: Biospeologica, XLIV". Archives de Zoologie Expérimentale et Générale (in French). 60: 523–555.
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