Theotima minutissima is a minute (0.9mm) spider.

Distribution

With a pantropical distributionT. minutissima occurs in Panama, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Guam. It is especially abundant in the tropical forest leaf litter on El Yunque, Puerto Rico.

Theotima minutissima

However, with more than a thousand specimens collected over many years, none has ever been a male. It is now known that at least this species, and possibly others in the genus Theotima, reproduce parthenogenetically.

Theotima minutissima

Its preferred habitat is litter composed of smaller leaves in second growth forests with understory shrubs or in those forests with damper and more easily decayed leaves such as mahogany. The species prefers elevations less than 800m.

Theotima minutissima

References

Edwards (2003): Observations of Theotima minutissimus (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae), a parthenogenetic spider. The Journal of Arachnology 31:274-277 PDF

Ochyroceratidae

Pantropical spiders

Arthropods of Puerto Rico

Spiders of Central America

Arthropods of the Philippines

Arthropods of Thailand

Spiders described in 1929

Taxa named by Alexander Petrunkevitch