Yunohamella

Yoshida, 2007

Species Guides

Yunohamella lyrica(Lyric Cobweaver)

Yunohamella is a of comb-footed spiders in the Theridiidae, established by H. Yoshida in 2007. The genus is characterized by distinct male genital : a large tegulum, small , thin embolus, and distinct tegular apophysis. Females have an epigyne lacking a pointed scapus or possessing a blunt scapus. As of 2026, the genus comprises thirteen distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America. Recent taxonomic revisions have clarified species boundaries using morphological and molecular data, including the reestablishment of Y. mneon as a valid species and the synonymy of Y. varietas.

Yunohamella lyrica by (c) G.A.Blagoev, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Yunohamella lyrica by (c) Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bill Keim. Used under a CC-BY license.

Yunohamella lyrica by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Yunohamella: /juː.nəʊ.hæˈmeɪ.lə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Males can be identified by genital : large tegulum, small , thin embolus, and distinct tegular apophysis. Females are distinguished by epigynal structure lacking a pointed scapus or with a blunt scapus. Yunohamella mneon can be separated from Y. lyrica by body coloration, markings, and genital morphology; molecular data (partial mitochondrial COI gene) support this distinction.

Images

Habitat

Karst landscapes with rich forest vegetation and complex topography; recorded at elevations of 810–1270 m in Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China. Specific microhabitat associations within these forested karst systems have not been detailed.

Distribution

Asia, Europe, and North America. In Asia: Japan (Saga Prefecture, Kyushu), Korea, and China (Hubei Province: Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xuan'en County; Xianning City, Jiugongshan National Nature Reserve).

Similar Taxa

PlatnickinaYunohamella was historically confused with Platnickina; Y. mneon was originally described as Platnickina mneon and has been compared with Platnickina adamsoni in taxonomic revisions.
CryptachaeaCryptachaea jiugongensis has been transferred to Yunohamella as a new combination, indicating historical taxonomic confusion between these .

More Details

Taxonomic history

Yunohamella was established in 2007 to accommodate previously placed in other theridiid . Y. lyrica has served as a requiring revision; Y. kentuckyensis and Y. tigrae have been synonymized with Y. lyrica and Y. serpatusa respectively. Y. mneon was reestablished as a valid species in 2025 after being considered a junior synonym of Y. lyrica.

Molecular data

Partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences have been used to clarify boundaries within Yunohamella in East Asia, supporting the conspecificity of Y. mneon females with males previously associated with Y. varietas.