Corresponding author: Charles E. Griswold (
Academic editor: Jeremy Miller
The new spider genus and species
The spider fauna of North America is a rich one, with at least 68 families including 569 genera and comprising more than 3700 species (
Diagnostic characters for Haplogynae families.
Family | AME | PME distance | Cheliceral bases | Cheliceral lamina | Posterior receptaculum | 3rd Entapophyses | Posterior spiracles | Posterior spiracle(s) | Emerit’s glands | Tarsal claw number | Serrula tooth rows | Labium-sternum junction | ALS basal segment | PLs AC gland spigots | CY gland spigots | Colulus |
|
present | separate | fused | present | absent | separate, short | two | advanced | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | present | separate, short | two | advanced | absent | three | one | free | divided | dispersed | absent | small |
|
present | contiguous | fused | present | absent | separate, long | two | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | absent |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | absent | separate, long | one | posterior | present | three | one | fused | entire | in line | present | small |
|
absent | contiguous | free | present | absent | separate, short | one | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | in line | absent | large |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | present | separate, short | two | advanced | prs; abs | two | one | free | divided | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | present | separate, short | two | advanced | absent | two | one | free | divided | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | free | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
present | separate | fused | present | absent | absent | one | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
present | separate | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | free | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | large |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | present | separate, short | two | advanced | absent | three | one | free | divided | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | contiguous | fused | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | two | one; abs | fused | entire | dispersed | absent | large; abs |
|
absent | contiguous | free | absent | absent | absent | two | posterior | present | three | one | fused | entire | in line | present | large |
|
absent | contig./sep. | free | present | absent | fused | one | posterior | absent | three | one | free | entire | dispersed | absent | small |
|
absent | separate | free | absent | absent | separate, long | one | posterior | absent | three | multiple | fused | divided | dispersed | absent | small |
Species descriptions refer to a single adult individual for each sex, which is identified as a type or by the locality at which it was collected. All measurements are in millimeters and quantify the size of a structure at its widest or longest point. A section reporting the variation in the most conspicuous and variable features follows each description and represents multiple individuals (n), encompassing the full range in overall size.
Prior to examination with a Leo 1450VP Scanning Electron Microscope, all structures were cleaned with a fine brush and critical point dried. Spinneret preparations followed the methods of
Ecribellate Haplogynae lacking AME, with ALE and PLE contiguous but PME separated (
The extraordinary, subsegmented raptorial leg tarsi are unique among spiders and clearly autapomorphic for the family.
The generic name refers to the cave habitat and raptorial tarsi.
By the characters of the family.
As for the family.
Cephalothoraxwith carapace pear-shaped, narrowed anteriorly, pars cephalica faintly distinguished from pars thoracica, fovea indistinct (
One species described, probably another known only from juveniles.
Known only from caves and old growth forest understory in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of Oregon and California.
Holotype male from M2 Cave, 15.7 km SSW Grants Pass, Josephine Co., Oregon, USA, collected 29 July 2010 by R. S. Davis and D. S. Snyder, CASENT9040013, and paratype female from No Name Cave, Josephine Co., Oregon, 17.8 km SSW Grants Pass, collected 16 Sept. 2010 by N. Marchington, CASENT9040065, deposited in CAS.
The specific name is a patronym in honor of Neil Marchington, cave biologist, Advisory Board member of the Western Cave Conservatory, Conservation Chair, Western Region, National Speleological Society and Deschutes County Deputy Sheriff, in gratitude for his help and kindness.
By the characters of the genus.
Habitus of live
Habitus and tarsi of male
Habitus of male
Scanning electron micrographs of the right chelicera of female
Scanning electron micrographs of the endite of a female
Right appendages of female
Scanning electron micrographs of legs of
Scanning electron micrographs of sensory organs of
Male pedipalp of
Internal anatomy of
Spinnerets, ventral view.
Scanning electron micrographs of the ALS and PLS of
Scanning electron micrographs of spinnerets of
Scanning electron micrographs of the spinnerets of
This species has been collected in the dark zone of caves, hanging beneath a few strands of silk that are attached to the cave roof (
Caves in southwestern Oregon.
(all CAS)
A juvenile
Western North America, especially the Klamath-Siskiyou region of northern California and southern Oregon is rich in biodiversity, particularly with respect to its endemic plants and invertebrates (
Major funding for this project came from the Harriet Exline-Frizzell Fund with additional support coming from the Hagey Research Investment Fund of the California Academy of Sciences (CAS). Tracy and Charles acknowledge support from NSF BIR-9531307, “the CAS Summer Systematics Institute, an REU site,” R. Mooi, PI and from NSF DEB-0613775 “PBI: Collaborative research: the megadiverse, microdistributed spider family Oonopidae” C. Griswold, PI. Joel acknowledges support from the Schlinger Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at CAS. We thank Geo Graening, Neil Marchington, Ron Davis, Daniel Snyder and the Western Cave Conservancy for making the first known specimens available to us, Marshal Hedin and Axel Schoenhofer (San Diego State University) for making the redwood forest specimen available, and Neil Marchington, Darrell Ubick, Hannah Wood and Fernando Álvarez-Padilla for help with fieldwork. Vic Smith helped with imaging. Photographs of the living animals are by Ron Davis, Charles Griswold, Joel Ledford and Brent McGregor. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Grants Pass office, facilitated cave access. Darrell Ubick and Martín Ramírez provided valuable comments on the specimens, and Fernando Álvarez-Padilla, Anthea Carmichael, Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, Rosie Gillespie, Mark Harvey, Gustavo Hormiga, Rudy Jocqué, Leon Lotz, Norman Platnick, Martín Ramírez, Robert Raven and Tamás Szüts commented on presentations about this new spider family. Friendly reviews of drafts of the manuscript were provided by Facundo Labarque, Martín Ramírez, Norm Platnick, Bill Shear and Darrell Ubick. Michael Rix and an anonymous reviewer provided helpful comments. We especially thank Martín Ramírez for pointing out the potential phylogenetic significance of the diagonal band across the ALS base.