On the tibial and patellar glands, relationships, and American genera of the spider family Leptonetidae (Arachnida, Araneae). American Museum novitates ; no. 2855

16 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 15-16)."Middorsal tibial integumentary glands opening on cuticular plates, previously known only in telemid spiders, are newly reported in leptonetids; their presence suggests that the Telemidae and Leptonetidae are sister groups. Species of the leptonetid subfamily Archoleptonetinae Gertsch share a unique form of tibial cuticular plate that corroborates the monophyly of that group, even though it was originally based only on a plesiomorphy (retention of the normal eye pattern). Apparently homologous cuticular plates also occur on the patellae of most leptonetids examined; differences in patellar plate structure corroborate both Brignoli's hypothesis that several genera exist within the American leptonetid fauna and his delimitation of the genus Neoleptoneta Brignoli. Congruence between patellar plate structure and genitalia features supports the establishment of two additional genera: Appaleptoneta, described for the Appalachian species Leptoneta silvicultrix Crosby and Bishop (type species), L. coma Barrows, L. gertschi Barrows, L. fiskei Gertsch, L. jonesi Gertsch, L. credula Gertsch, and L. barrowsi Gertsch, and Calileptoneta, described for the California and Oregon species L. oasa Gertsch (type species), L. noyoana Gertsch, L. wapiti Gertsch, L. helferi Gertsch, and L. californica Banks. Two remaining American species not assigned to Archoleptoneta, Neoleptoneta, Appaleptoneta, or Calileptoneta (L. sandra Gertsch and L. brunnea Gertsch) each have peculiar patellar plates and genitalia, and may prove to be more closely related to Mediterranean or East Asian genera than to other American taxa"--P. [1]