Telemidae

Distinguished from other haplogyne families by combination of: (1) extremely long, slender legs without trichobothria; (2) three pairs of spinnerets with anterior pair longest; (3) tracheal spiracles replacing book lungs; (4) hardened zigzag ridge on abdomen above pedicel; (5) reduced eye number (0-6). Resembles Leptonetidae but differs in leg proportions, spinneret arrangement, and respiratory structures. Cave-dwelling habit and tropical distribution further narrow identification.

Small-bodied spiders with extremely long, thin, relatively spineless legs lacking trichobothria. Abdomen elongate with a hardened, zigzag-patterned ridge above the pedicel, more pronounced in males. Possess three pairs of spinnerets, with the anterior pair longest. Respiration via two pairs of tracheal spiracles; book lungs absent. Eye number variable: typically six eyes arranged in three diads, though some species completely eyeless.

Predominantly tropical rainforest karst caves; also recorded from leaf litter and under rocks in cave vicinity. Associated with humid, dark microenvironments. Lowland forest records confirmed for some species.

Southern Holarctic, Neotropical, Australasian (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Oriental, and Ethiopian biogeographic realms. Notable distribution gap in Central Africa recently filled by record from Democratic Republic of Congo. Disjunct pattern with concentrations in Southeast Asian karst, Madagascar, and Neotropical caves.

• LeptonetidaeAlso small haplogyne spiders with reduced eyes and cave-dwelling habits; distinguished by shorter legs with trichobothria, different spinneret proportions, and presence of book lungs

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• A new Cangoderces (Araneae, Telemidae) from DR Congo, the first telemid from Central Africa