Unveiling the diversity and distribution of Coelotinae (Araneae, Agelenidae) spiders from Chongqing, China

  Unveiling the diversity and distribution of Coelotinae (Araneae, Agelenidae) spiders from Chongqing, China Abstract This research examines the funnel-web spider subfamily Coelotinae (Araneae, Agelenidae) from karst caves and associated subterranean environments in Chongqing Municipality, China, resulting in the identification of 84 species across 20 genera, which includes nine new genera and 58 new species: Antrocoelotes gen. nov., A. jiangjin sp. nov. (♂♀); genus Coelotes Blackwall, 1841, Coelotes jinyun sp. nov. (♂), C. zhui sp. nov. (♂); Cucullicoelotes gen. nov., C. beibei sp. nov. (♂♀), C. simianshan sp. nov. (♀), C. wuxi sp. nov. (♂♀); Dolabocoelotes gen. nov., D. wanzhou sp. nov. (♂♀), genus Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999, Draconarius acutus-group, D. yu sp. nov. (♂♀), D. yunyang sp. nov. (♂♀), D. zouma sp. nov. (♂♀); Draconarius aspinatus-group, D. cerebriformis sp. nov. (♀), D. fengjie sp. nov. (♀), D. jiangjin sp. nov. (♀), D. pengshui sp. nov. (♀), D. shizhu sp. nov. (...

Surveys of Aphonopelma hentzi in Missouri: Conservation Efforts through Population, Genetics, and Habitat Studies

 


Surveys of Aphonopelma hentzi in Missouri: Conservation Efforts through Population, Genetics, and Habitat Studies

Final Abstract for URS Program


Aphonopelma hentzi and other tarantula species are greatly understudied organisms. In the Missouri regions there is little knowledge on their mating patterns, gene diversity, or population sizes. The focal glades in this experiment display regional fragmentation, which could prevent tarantulas from traveling and mating between regions of their glades. Due to the lack of knowledge surrounding them, methods for determining gene diversity are harmful to the organism. Our recent work has shown that it is possible to extract genetic information from the molts of burrowing tarantulas. This will allow us to safely determine the lineages and interbreeding patterns of the tarantula populations within our focal regions in Missouri. Through utilizing ISSR analysis and determining Wright's F statistic for each population it will be possible to follow the gene flow patterns.


USML Library: (Poster Presentation) https://irl.umsl.edu/urs/165/