Editing Tooth Cave spider

{{Short description|Species of spider}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Tooth Cave spider
| image = Tayshaneta myopica IMG 4242 crop.jpg
| image_caption = Tooth Cave spider from Gallifer Cave, Travis County, TX
| status = LE | status_system = ESA
| status2 = DD | status2_system = IUCN2.3
| taxon = Tayshaneta myopica
| authority = ([[Willis J. Gertsch|Gertsch]], 1974)<ref name=WSC_s14036/>
| synonyms =
*''Leptoneta myopica'' <small>Gertsch, 1974</small>
*''Neoleptoneta myopica'' <small>(Gertsch, 1974)</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=WSC_s14036/>
}}

The '''Tooth Cave spider''', formerly ''Neoleptoneta myopica'',<ref name=IUCN/> now '''''Tayshaneta myopica''''',<ref name=WSC_s14036/> is a {{cvt|1.6|mm|in|frac=16}} long [[spider]] in the family [[Leptonetidae]]. It is endemic to limestone caves near [[Austin, Texas]] in the United States and is considered an [[endangered species]].<ref name=IUCN/>

==Taxonomy==
The Tooth Cave spider was first described in 1974 by [[Willis J. Gertsch]], as ''Leptoneta myopica''.<ref name=WSC_s14036/> At the time it was only known from Tooth Cave in [[Travis County, Texas]], 15 miles northwest of [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]. The specific name ''myopica'' is from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''myopia'', "nearsighted".<ref name=Gert74/> In 1977, [[Paolo Marcello Brignoli|Paolo Brignoli]] transferred the species to the genus ''[[Neoleptoneta]]''.<ref name=WSC_s14036/> A 2011 [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetic]] study of ''Neoleptoneta'' and other North American genera in the family [[Leptonetidae]] showed that ''Neoleptoneta'' was not [[Monophyly|monophyletic]]. Several new genera were erected, including ''[[Tayshaneta]]'', to which the Tooth Cave spider was transferred, as ''Tayshaneta myopica''.<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp11/>

==Description==
''Tayshaneta myopica'' is a small spider, about {{cvt|1.6|mm|in|frac=16}} in total body length. Relative to its body, it has long legs: the first leg, the longest, is about {{cvt|4.3|mm|in|frac=16}}, the third leg, the shortest, about {{cvt|2.9|mm|in|frac=16}}. It is generally whitish in color with some yellower parts. It has six eyes, a group of four at the front and two behind. The eyes were initially described as "obsolescent" and without dark pigment.<ref name=Gert74/> Later it was discovered that the species occurs in a range of forms, from depigmented, blind individuals to darkly pigmented, large-eyed individuals.<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp11/>

Little is known of the life history of any of the species in the family Leptonetidae.<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp11/>

==Distribution and habitat==
In 2012, ''Tayshaneta myopica'' was known from caves in [[Travis County, Texas|Travis County]] and [[Williamson County, Texas|Williamson County]] to the northwest of [[Austin, Texas]]. Six locations were given on a distribution map for the species, although precise details of the locations have not been given, partly for conservation reasons. The caves occur in [[Edwards Plateau|Edward's Plateau]], a [[limestone]] ("[[karst]]") region of Central Texas. ''Tayshaneta'' spiders appear to spend most of their lives in their web, except for mature males. However, individuals of ''T.&nbsp;myopica'' from four nearby caves (Tooth Cave, Root Cave, Gallifer Cave and Tight Pit) have been shown to have identical [[Mitochondrial DNA|mitochondrial]] and [[nuclear DNA]] [[haplotype]]s, suggesting that movement between the sites does take place. Individuals were seen suspended beneath low sheet webs, from which they dropped when disturbed.<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp12/>

==Conservation==
''Tayshaneta myopica'' was listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1988 because of its very limited distribution in an area outside of Austin, Texas, that is rapidly urbanizing. Conservation efforts have been focused on "karst faunal regions".<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp12/>

== See also ==
* ''[[Texella reddelli]]''
* ''[[Texella reyesi]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Gert74>{{Cite journal |last1=Gertsch |first1=W.J. |date=1974 |title=The spider family Leptonetidae in North America |journal=Journal of Arachnology |volume=1 |pages=145–203 }}</ref>

<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp11>{{Citation |last1=Ledford |first1=J. |last2=Paquin |first2=P. |last3=Cokendolpher |first3=J. |last4=Campbell |first4=J. |last5=Griswold |first5=C. |date=2011 |title=Systematics of the spider genus ''Neoleptoneta'' Brignoli, 1972 (Araneae: Leptonetidae) with a discussion of the morphology and relationships for the North American Leptonetidae |journal=Invertebrate Systematics |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=334–388 |name-list-style=amp |doi=10.1071/is11014}}</ref>

<ref name=LedfPaquCokeCamp12>{{Citation |last1=Ledford |first1=J. |last2=Paquin |first2=P. |last3=Cokendolpher |first3=J. |last4=Campbell |first4=J. |last5=Griswold |first5=C. |date=2012 |title=Systematics, conservation and morphology of the spider genus ''Tayshaneta'' (Araneae, Leptonetidae) in central Texas caves |journal=ZooKeys |issue=167 |pages=1–102 |name-list-style=amp |doi=10.3897/zookeys.167.1833|pmc=3272638 |pmid=22363201|doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=IUCN>{{Cite iucn | author = World Conservation Monitoring Centre | author-link = World Conservation Monitoring Centre | title = ''Neoleptoneta myopica'' | volume = 1996 | page = e.T14529A4442816 | date = 1996 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T14529A4442816.en }} Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is listed as data deficient</ref>

<ref name=WSC_s14036>{{cite web |title=Taxon details ''Tayshaneta myopica'' Gertsch, 1974 |work=World Spider Catalog |publisher=Natural History Museum Bern |url=http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/species/14036 |accessdate=2017-03-20 }}</ref>
}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2218374}}

[[Category:Leptonetidae]]
[[Category:Spiders of the United States]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of Texas]]
[[Category:Cave spiders]]
[[Category:Endangered fauna of the United States]]
[[Category:ESA endangered species]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Willis J. Gertsch]]
[[Category:Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN]] <!-- Tayshaneta myopica -->