First catalog of spiders of Egypt (Araneae)

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  First catalog of spiders of Egypt (Araneae) Abstract This study provides a comprehensive catalog of the spider fauna of Egypt, comprising 389 species assigned to 197 genera and 40 families. For each species, all published locality records are compiled and accompanied by complete bibliographic references. The dataset has been carefully reviewed and critically evaluated in light of the most recent taxonomic and faunistic information. Among the recorded species, 55 (14.13%) are currently known only from Egypt and are thus considered endemic. Based on the World Spider Catalog (2026), 28 species are treated as nomina dubia, 23 species lack confirmed records from Egypt, which is not correct, 10 have to be omitted from the Egyptian list and 8 are species inquirenda. Despite the relatively high number of documented species, the Egyptian araneofauna remains insufficiently explored. Given the country’s ecological diversity and biogeographical position, further research is expected to signi...

Backbone phylogeny and evolution of Lycosidae (Araneae): New insights from phylogenomic analyses of mitogenomic data

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Backbone phylogeny and evolution of Lycosidae (Araneae): New insights from phylogenomic analyses of mitogenomic data

Abstract

This study conducted phylogenomic analyses of the higher-level phylogeny and evolution of mitogenomes and characteristics of Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833 (wolf spiders) utilizing 56 complete mitogenomes. In comparison to analyses based on target-genes, the mitogenomic phylogenies revealed Tricassinae as sister to Hippasinae and positioned Tricassinae + Hippasinae as sister to Lycosinae + Pardosinae. The findings did not support Evippinae as sister to Sosippinae and indicated uncertain phylogenetic relationships among genera (Lycosa, Trochosa, Ovia, and Alopecosa) within Lycosinae. The study proposes the validation of Wadicosinae, revisions of three species, Pardosa multivaga Simon, 1880, Arctosa ningboensis Yin, Bao & Zhang, 1996, and Alopecosa cinnameopilosa (Schenkel, 1963), and recommends placing Halocosa hatanensis (Urita, Tang, & Song, 1993) into Evippinae. Contrary to previous findings, the initial diversification of wolf spiders occurred during the Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum, with rapid diversification during the Miocene, both interpreted as responses to significant climate changes and grassland expansion during these periods. Within Lycosidae, mitochondrial gene rearrangements (seven patterns) were observed only in Piratula of Zoicinae and P. multivaga, primarily resulting from transfer RNA transportation and loss. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses did not support web building as the ancestral trait of lycosid prey-capture strategies, instead suggesting an evolutionary progression from vagrant hunting to web building and burrowing, with shifts to web building or burrowing occurring independently multiple times.

Liu, J., Fu, D., Tao, H., & Luo, F. Backbone phylogeny and evolution of Lycosidae (Araneae): New insights from phylogenomic analyses of mitogenomic data. Journal of Systematics and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13198