A new species of Strotarchus Simon, 1888 from Mexico and description of the male of the type species S. nebulosus Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae)

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  A new species of Strotarchus Simon, 1888 from Mexico and description of the male of the type species S. nebulosus Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae) Abstract A new sac spider of the genus Strotarchus Simon, 1888, S. adrianae spec. nov., is described based on specimens of both sexes collected from Jalisco, Mexico. In addition, the previously unknown male of Strotarchus nebulosus Simon, 1888 is described for the first time. Orozco-Gil, M., Jiménez, M.-L. & Chamé-Vázquez, D. (2026) A new species of Strotarchus Simon, 1888 from Mexico and description of the male of the type species S. nebulosus Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae). Zootaxa, 5821 (2), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.2.7

Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships Based on Mitogenomes of Spider: Insights Into Evolution and Adaptation to Extreme Environments

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Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships Based on Mitogenomes of Spider: Insights Into Evolution and Adaptation to Extreme Environments

ABSTRACT

In this study, we performed a comparative analysis based on a total of 255 spider mitogenomes and four outgroups, of which the mitogenomes of 39 species were assembled de novo, to explore the phylogenetic relationships and the adaptive evolution of mitogenomes. Results showed that Argyroneta aquatica had the longest mitochondrial length and the most pronounced codon preference to be UUA, followed by CCU. Codon usage frequencies were similar between families and codon usage in the mitogenome of spiders was mainly influenced by natural selection pressures rather than G/C mutation bias. Our phylogenetic topology clearly explained the evolutionary relationships among the spiders, and divergence time estimates indicated that the spiders originated in the early Devonian, and that the two clades of Mesothelae and Opisthothelae separated in the late Carboniferous. Ancestral range and trait reconstruction results supported the ancestral origin of spiders to the Devonian Nearctic realm, with the trapdoor being the original trait. Selection analysis detected positive selection signals in the ATP8 gene in Desis jiaxiangi. The ND5 gene is a convergent evolutionary gene between D. jiaxiangi and A. aquatica. Positive selection signals in the ATP8 gene and convergent selection sites in the ND5 gene may facilitate metabolic adaptation to the aquatic environment in two aquatic spiders. In conclusion, our analysis contributes to a better understanding of the taxonomic status, species diversity, mitochondrial characteristics, and environmental adaptations of these spiders.

Zhang, R., Xiang, N., Gao, X., Zhang, G., Lu, T., & Yuan, T. (2025). Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships Based on Mitogenomes of Spider: Insights Into Evolution and Adaptation to Extreme Environments. Ecology and Evolution, 15(1), e70774. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70774