On Teutoniella, an American genus of the spider family Micropholcommatidae (Araneae, Palpimanoidea).

Abstract

ThegenusTeutoniella Brignoli, basedonthe Brazilian species T.plaumanni Brignoli, wasdescribed intheAnapidae butdoesnotbelong to thatfamily. Onthebasis ofits elevated cheliceral gland mound,reduced legspination, extensively elevated parscephalica, andreduced booklungs, T.plaumanni seemstobelong instead tothepalpimanoid lineage including thecurrently recognized families Textricellidae andMicropholcommatidae. Because it(1)hasonlygreatly reduced booklungs (orincipient anterior tracheae), (2)lacks thetwofeatures (extension oftheanterior tracheae intotheprosoma, andreduction ofthefemale pedipalp segment number) thataresuggested to besynapomorphic forMicropholcomma, Pua,and Parapua, and(3)lacks theoneputative synapomorphy(loss oftheposterior tracheae) uniting Textricella (anditspossible senior synonymEterosonycha) andTricella, Teutoniella maywell represent thesister groupofallthosetaxa. Rather thanestablish anewfamily-group namebased on Teutoniella, wesynonymize theTextricellidae with theMicropholcommatidae