Advancing the systematics of Araneae: ultraconserved elements phylogenomics demonstrates the non-monophyly of Miturgidae Simon, 1886 and supports the Familial Rank of Systariidae Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001

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  Advancing the systematics of Araneae: ultraconserved elements phylogenomics demonstrates the non-monophyly of Miturgidae Simon, 1886 and supports the Familial Rank of Systariidae Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 Abstract The systematic status of the family Miturgidae Simon, 1886 and related subfamilies has long been problematic, primarily due to challenges in interpreting morphological characters and limited molecular sampling. In this study, we reconstruct the phylogeny of Miturgidae using ultraconserved elements and estimate its divergence time. Our results suggest that Systariinae does not belong to Miturgidae, but rather is sister to all other families of the Dionycha B clade. Consequently, we elevate it to family rank as Systariidae Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 and discuss its morphological synapomorphies. Furthermore, our analyses place Miturgidae as the sister clade to Viridasiidae + Selenopidae under multiple phylogenetic methods. Divergence time estimates indicate an ancient origin of...

Discovery of a new tarantula species from the Madrean Sky Islands and the first documented instance of syntopy between two montane endemics (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aphonopelma): a case of prior mistaken identity

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Discovery of a new tarantula species from the Madrean Sky Islands and the first documented instance of syntopy between two montane endemics (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aphonopelma): a case of prior mistaken identity

Abstract

The Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona are renowned for their exceptional biodiversity and high levels of endemism. Morphological, genomic, behavioral, and distributional data were used to report the discovery of a remarkable new tarantula species from this range. Aphonopelma jacobii sp. nov. inhabits high-elevation mixed conifer forests in these mountains, but also co-occurs and shares its breeding period with A. chiricahua—a related member of the Marxi species group—in mid-elevation Madrean evergreen oak and pine-oak woodlands. This marks the first documented case of syntopy between two montane endemics in the Madrean Archipelago and adds to our knowledge of this threatened region’s unmatched tarantula diversity in the United States. An emended diagnosis and redescription for A. chiricahua are also provided based on several newly acquired and accurately identified specimens. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and genomic-scale data reveal that A. jacobii sp. nov. is more closely related to A. marxi, a species primarily distributed on the Colorado Plateau, than to A. chiricahua or the other Madrean Sky Island taxa. These data provide the evolutionary framework for better understanding the region’s complex biogeographic history (e.g., biotic assembly of the Chiricahua Mountains) and conservation of these spiders.

Hamilton CA, Hendrixson BE, Silvestre Bringas K (2024) Discovery of a new tarantula species from the Madrean Sky Islands and the first documented instance of syntopy between two montane endemics (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aphonopelma): a case of prior mistaken identity. ZooKeys 1210: 61-98. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1210.125318