Leptonetela Kratochvíl, 1978

Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Leptonetid spiders from caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China (Araneae: Leptonetidae) 2587, Zootaxa 2587 (1), pp. 1-93 : 10

Leptonetela Kratochvíl, 1978

Type species: Leptonetela kanellisi ( Deeleman-Reinhold, 1971)

Sulcia kanellisi Deeleman-Reinhold, 1971: 289 , fig. 1, 2a–d, 4a, 6b, 7;

Protoleptoneta kanellisi Brignoli, 1976: 540 , fig. 1–3, 6;

Leptonetela kanellisi Kratochvíl, 1978: 11 , fig. 1G.

Small size (total length 1.0–3.0). Prosoma yellow or pale yellow, smooth surface. Median groove absent or indistinct. Six eyes, ALE and PLE in a line, procurved, PME behind ALE and PLE; four or two eyes, or absent. Chelicerae normal, not strong, with distinct stridulating ridges on prolateral surface, fang furrow with 7–9 promarginal and 4–6 retromarginal teeth. Sternum smooth, cordiform or peltate, length subequal to width. Legs thin and long. Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. Metatarsi II and III bears a serrated hairs-comb at ventral base respectively. Male pedipalpal femur without spines usually, tibia with large spurs, tibial apophysis or process absent. Tarsus wrinkled at dorsal median, attaching an earlobe-shaped process. Female internal genitalia with a pair of spermathecae, atrium visible, fusiform or triangular.

Distribution. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Turkey, China (Guizhou, Guangxi).

Remarks. Detailed study of Sulcia kanellisi Deeleman-Reinhold, 1971 (type species for Leptonetela Kratochvíl, 1978 ), Qianleptoneta quinquespinata Chen & Zhu, 2008 (type species for Qianleptoneta Chen & Zhu, 2008 ) shows that Qianleptoneta is a junior synonym of Leptonetela . By examining of type specimens for both species, the synapomorphies of Leptonetela are as follows: 1) lack of spines on male pedipalpal femur, 2) the absence of apophysis or process on pedipalpal tibia, but modified by large spurs, 3) the pedipalpal tarsus distinctly beyond bulb and more or less rugose mesially, and 4) the spermathecae twisted, the atrium usually broad.