Telemidae

Long-legged cave spiders Temporal range: Cretaceous–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Telema tenella
Usofila flava
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Telemidae Fage, 1913
Diversity
16 genera, 104 species

Telemidae, also known as long-legged cave spiders, is a family of small haplogyne spiders. Most are cave-dwelling spiders with six eyes, though some do not have any eyes at all. There are about 104 described species in sixteen genera. ^[1]

Natural Environment

Telemidae are found predominantly in Tropical Rainforests and Karst caves. These species have been identified in the Southern Holarctic, Neotropical, Australasian (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Oriental, and Ethiopian realms.

They are usually found in Caves but have been observed in the surrounding area under leaf litter or rocks.

Physical features

The legs are long, thin, relatively spineless, and do not have trichobothria. They have three pairs of spinnerets, the longest of which is toward the head. Instead of book lungs, they have two pairs of tracheal spiracles. ^[2]

The elongate abdomen bears a hardened ridge above the pedicel running in a zigzag pattern that is more clearly defined in males than females. The pedipalp on males is oval and bag-like with a thin spermatophore. The female pedipalp does not have a claw. ^[2]

Genera

Main article: List of Telemidae species

As of September 2025 ^[update] , this family includes sixteen genera: ^[1]

• Apneumonella Fage, 1921 – Asia (China, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra)), Africa (Kenya, Tanzania)
• Burmalema Zhao & Li, 2022 – Myanmar
• Cangoderces Harington, 1951 – Cameroon, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, South Africa
• Guhua Zhao & Li, 2017 – Kenya
• Jocquella Baert, 1980 – New Guinea
• Kinku Dupérré & Tapia, 2015 – Ecuador
• Mekonglema Zhao & Li, 2020 – China, Laos, Thailand
• Milema Zhao & Li, 2022 – Thailand, Vietnam
• Pinelema Wang & Li, 2012 – China, Laos, Vietnam, Brazil
• Seychellia Saaristo, 1978 – Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Seychelles
• Siamlema Zhao & Li, 2020 – Thailand
• Sundalema Zhao & Li, 2020 – Indonesia (Sumatra), Thailand
• Telema Simon, 1882 – Asia (China, Japan, Korea), France, Spain, Guatemala
• Telemofila Wunderlich, 1995 – Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia (Borneo), New Caledonia, Singapore
• Usofila Keyserling, 1891 – North America
• Zhuanlema Zhao & Li, 2020 – Laos

See also

• List of Telemidae species

References

1. "Family Telemidae". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
2. Song, D.X.; Zhu, M.S. & Chen, J. (1999), The Spiders of China, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Publishing House, Shijiazhuang

• Platnick, N.I. (1986). On the tibial and patellar glands, relationships, and American genera of the spider family Leptonetidae (Arachnida, Araneae). American Museum Novitates 2855. PDF Abstract (with info on Telemidae)

External links

• Citizen science observations for Telemidae at iNaturalist