Systematics of the spider genus Neoleptoneta Brignoli, 1972 (Araneae:Leptonetidae) with a discussion of the morphology and relationships for the North American Leptonetidae
Authors: Ledford Joel , Paquin Pierre , Cokendolpher James , Campbell Josh , Griswold Charles 
Published: December 2011

A phylogenetic analysis of the spider genus Neoleptoneta Brignoli, 1972 is presented based on molecular sequence variation from three genes (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, nuclear histone H3 and nuclear 28S rDNA) and including exemplars for all North American leptonetid genera except the ecribellate archoleptonetine Darkoneta. Analysis of concatenated data and independent genes using Bayesian, maximum likelihood and parsimony methods failed to recover Neoleptoneta as monophyletic. The genera Archoleptoneta, Appaleptoneta and Calileptoneta are monophyletic and a sister group relationship is supported between Appaleptoneta and Calileptoneta. Morphological data based on a survey of leptonetid genera using scanning electron and compound light microscopy are discussed and traced on the molecular phylogeny. Images for each North American leptonetine genus are provided, including comparison with Asian and European outgroups. Images of the incertae sedis species Leptoneta brunnea Gertsch, 1974 and Leptoneta sandra Gertsch, 1974 are provided and their generic placement is re-evaluated. Ancestral state reconstruction is used to assess patterns of cave evolution and shows that most species are descended from troglophilic ancestors and that troglobites have evolved at least nine times independently within the North American Leptonetidae. Neoleptoneta is relimited to include seven species restricted to central Mexico including N. bonita (Gertsch, 1974), N. capilla (Gertsch, 1971), N. delicata (Gertsch, 1971), N. limpida (Gertsch, 1974), N. rainesi (Gertsch, 1971) and N. reclusa (Gertsch, 1971) and to include Leptoneta brunnea, giving the new combination N. brunnea (Gertsch, 1974). The remaining species described in Neoleptoneta are placed in three new genera: (1) Chisoneta, gen. nov. from south-western Texas and Nuevo Leon, Mexico, including the four species C. chisosea (Gertsch, 1974), C. isolata (Gertsch, 1971), C. modica (Gertsch, 1974) and C. pecki (Gertsch, 1971), new combinations; (2) Ozarkia, gen. nov. from Arizona and New Mexico north-east to Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia, including the nine species O. alabama (Gertsch, 1974), O. apachea (Gertsch, 1974), O. archeri (Gertsch, 1974), O. arkansa (Gertsch, 1974), O. blanda (Gertsch, 1974), O. georgia (Gertsch, 1974), O. ivei (Gertsch, 1974), O. novaegalleciae (Brignoli, 1979) and O. serena (Gertsch, 1974), new combinations; and (3) Tayshaneta, gen. nov. from Texas south to Coahuila, Mexico, with the eleven species T. anopica (Gertsch, 1974), T. bullis (Cokendolpher, 2004), T. coeca (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942), T. concinna (Gertsch, 1974), T. devia (Gertsch, 1974), T. furtiva (Gertsch, 1974), T. microps (Gertsch, 1974), T. myopica (Gertsch, 1974), T. paraconcinna (Cokendolpher & Reddell, 2001), T. uvaldea (Gertsch, 1974) and T. valverdae (Gertsch, 1974), new combinations. Leptoneta sandra Gertsch, 1974 cannot be placed in any North American, European or Asian genus and is thus transferred to the new genus Montanineta, gen. nov., giving the new combination Montanineta sandra (Gertsch, 1974).