Misionella
Encyclopedia
Misionella is a genus
of crevice weaver
spiders. Currently there are two described living species.
A spider fossil
that was found in 15 to 20 million year old Miocene
amber
from the Dominican Republic
was in 2005 described as Misionella didicostae (Penney 2005a). A second specimen was discussed (Penney 2005b) soon thereafter.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of crevice weaver
Crevice weaver
The crevice weaver spiders contain primitive cribellate. They are haplogyne weavers of funnel or tube webs. The family contains 17 genera and more than hundred described species worldwide. One of the most abundant members of this family in the Americas is the Southern house spider...
spiders. Currently there are two described living species.
A spider fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
that was found in 15 to 20 million year old Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
was in 2005 described as Misionella didicostae (Penney 2005a). A second specimen was discussed (Penney 2005b) soon thereafter.
Species
- Misionella jaminawa Grismado & Ramírez, 2000 (Brazil)
- Misionella mendensis (Mello-Leitão, 1920) (Brazil, Argentina)