Mygalomorph spiders from the Baja California Peninsula with the description of a new species of the trapdoor genus Eucteniza Ausserer (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Euctenizidae) of Baja California Sur, Mexico

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  Mygalomorph spiders from the Baja California Peninsula with the description of a new species of the trapdoor genus Eucteniza Ausserer (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Euctenizidae) of Baja California Sur, Mexico Abstract We provide an updated taxonomic checklist of mygalomorph spider species from the Baja California Peninsula (BCP), including new records. In addition, a new species of the trapdoor spider genus Eucteniza Ausserer, 1875 is described from the BCP. Eucteniza candiae sp. nov. is described from a xerophilous scrubland on the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico, and is known from a male holotype and a male paratype. This species represents the fourth species of the genus described from the state of Baja California Sur. Consequently, the diversity of Eucteniza in Mexico increases to sixteen known species, representing the highest diversity of the genus in North America. With the description of this new species, the mygalomorph spider fauna of the BCP increases to 17 specie...

Evolutionary dynamics of the chromosomal changes in the genus Cyphophthalmus (Arachnida: Opiliones) on the Balkan Peninsula

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Evolutionary dynamics of the chromosomal changes in the genus Cyphophthalmus (Arachnida: Opiliones) on the Balkan Peninsula

Abstract

We investigated the genus Cyphophthalmus within the suborder Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida: Opiliones), focusing on its cytogenetic evolution in the Balkan Peninsula. Our comprehensive analysis of 21 species revealed a notable range in diploid chromosome numbers (2n = 24–30), challenging previous assumptions of genetic uniformity within this group. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with an 18S rDNA probe, we detected variability in the number of loci, with evidence of independent increases in this cluster (up to five pairs). This study combines the results of phylogenetic reconstruction based on analysis of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) (including karyotyped individuals) with standard and molecular cytogenetic techniques, making it the first of its kind in harvestman research. The findings reveal a significantly higher level of biodiversity in the Balkan Peninsula than previously recognized, suggesting complex differentiation within the genus Cyphophthalmus. Additionally, our results highlight the efficacy of cytogenetics as a tool for species’ delineation, enriching our understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus and emphasizing the intricate genetic diversity shaped by the unique geological and environmental history of the Balkan Peninsula.

Hiřman, M., Karaman, I., Štundlová, J., Just, P., & Šťáhlavský, F. (2025). Evolutionary dynamics of the chromosomal changes in the genus Cyphophthalmus (Arachnida: Opiliones) on the Balkan Peninsula. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 204(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf068