Anapis

Jocqué, R., Dippenaar-Schoman, A. S., 2006, Spider families of the World (Excerpt), Tervuren: Kininklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika : 68

FAMILY ANAPIDAE Simon,1895

GROUND ORB WEB WEAVERS Fig.11,pl. 22

Type genus

Anapis Simon, 1895.

Other genera

Represented by 34 genera and about 140 species.

Diagnostic characters

Very small araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; ecribellate; haplogyne (secondary); six or eight eyes; anterior labral spur present; booklungs replaced by anterior tracheae; chelicerae not fused.

Descriptive characters

• carapace: modified with ocular region elevated (fig. 11a); pedicel arising from circular, rimmed cavity on posterior declivity (fig. lib); glandular openings situated in hollow pits on edge of carapace at anterolateral corners (sometimes absent, Schütt, 2000).

• sternum: as broad as long, broadly fused to carapace.

• eyes: six or eight; anterior median eyes often reduced in size or absent; other eyes arranged in three pairs (fig. 11c).

• chelicerae: both margins with teeth.

• mouthparts: labrum bears anterior spur that projects forward between chelicerae (discernible when chelicerae are spread apart) (fig. 11c)，sometimes reduced to a small crest.

• legs: 4123 or 1423; three claws; legs short, without spines; metatarsi shorter than tarsi; femora I of male with a short spine ventrally; tarsal organ capsnlate and domed.

• female palp: reduced in size or absent; without claw.

• abdomen: male with large dorsal scutum, or 2-3 scuta, or dorsal region with scattered small sclerotized areas; ventral scutum surrounding pedicel; female abdomen soft or with small, brown sclerotized ring.

• spinnerets: anterior spinnerets small, close together; spinnerets together with colulus usually surrounded by a sclerotized ring; posterior lateral spinnerets with triplet of one flagelliform and two aggregate gland spigots in both sexes; aggregate gland spigot larger than accompanying flagelliform spigot piriform gland spigots with reduced base.

• respiratory system: two booklungs present or replaced by anterior tracheae opening through spir¬ acles on both sides of genital opening.

• genitalia: haplogyne (fig.11e); spermathecae well separated; male palp variable, femur and patella sometimes with bristles or apophyses (fig. lid); embolus varies from spiniform to short and wide.

• body size: <2 mm.

• colour: various shades of brown, from reddish brown to yellowish brown.

Taxonomic status

Based on their web-building behaviour Coddington (1986) and Eberhard (1987) considered the anapids and mysmenids as sister-groups. They are placed in the superfamily Araneoidea with the 'higher araneids， (Coddington & Levi, 1991，Coddington et al, 2004). Revisions of several genera and regions have been done by Forster & Platnick (1977); Platnick & Forster (1989,1990); Platnick & Shadab (1978b, 1979). According to Schütt (2003) the family is paraphyletic and should be considered a senior synonym of the Micropholcommatidae . According to Wunderlich (2004) the family should include Mysmenidae , Symphytognathidae and Synaphridae .

Distribution

Worldwide, but are more common in tropical and southern temperate forests.

Lifestyle

Cryptozoic and found in the litter layer and moss usually on the floor of moist forests. Some genera pro¬ duce small, horizontal orb webs in the litter or above the water surface (fig. Ilf).

Relevant literature

Coddington (1986, 2005a); Dippenaar-Schoeman & Jocqué (1997); Eberhard (1982); Forster & Platnick (1977); Platnick & Forster (1989,1990); Platnick & Shadab (1978b，1979), Ramirez et al. (2004); Schütt (2003).