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
	blue: reported countries (WSC); green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist)

Last updated January 19, 2026

Telemidae, also known as long-legged cave spiders, is a family of small haplogyne spiders with about 100 described species in sixteen genera.^[1] Most are cave-dwelling spiders with six eyes, though some do not have any eyes at all.

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

As of September 2025^[update], this family includes sixteen genera and 113 species::^[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

References

1 2 "Family Telemidae". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
1 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

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[wsc-1] 1 2 "Family Telemidae". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.

[song1999-2] 1 2 Song, D.X.; Zhu, M.S. & Chen, J. (1999), The Spiders of China, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Publishing House, Shijiazhuang

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