Zodarion spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae): morphology, molecular characterisation and reassessment of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups from Iberia and the Canary Islands

 

Zodarion spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae): morphology, molecular characterisation and reassessment of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups from Iberia and the Canary Islands

ABSTRACT

The ant-eating spider genus Zodarion has emerged as a valuable model system for the study of various aspects of spider biology; however, its taxonomy remains a complex challenge. This difficulty primarily stems from the insufficient documentation of numerous Zodarion species. In the present study, we provide the first comprehensive morphological characterisation of Iberian and Canarian Zodarion species belonging to the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups, employing both photographic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images to emphasise key taxonomic traits. Additionally, we offer the first molecular characterisation of these species groups based on COI barcodes, aiming to facilitate their identification and explore patterns of mitochondrial variation within and between Iberian and Canarian species. A new species, Zodarion sanchezi Shafaie and Pekár sp. n., from the elegans group, is described here. Molecular analyses indicate that species within all five groups generally form monophyletic groups, with the exception of Z. styliferum, Z. modestum and Z. murphyorum, supporting the efficacy of molecular barcoding for species identification in Zodarion.

Shafaie, S., Pekár, S., & Ortiz, D. (2025). Zodarion spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae): morphology, molecular characterisation and reassessment of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups from Iberia and the Canary Islands. Journal of Natural History, 59(25–28), 1825–1875. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2498047