Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil

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  Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil ABSTRACT Aim Beta diversity analyses clarify mechanisms structuring ecological communities, but their multidimensional facets remain poorly explored in arthropods. Here, we quantified taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity in scorpions, partitioned these facets into species replacement and richness differences, and evaluated the relative importance of spatial structure and environmental conditions in driving community assembly. Location Northeastern Brazil, South America. Taxon Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Methods Taxonomic beta diversity was estimated using species presence across 70 sites in northeastern Brazil. Phylogenetic turnover was calculated from a multi-locus molecular tree, and functional beta diversity was derived from morphometric and ecological traits. All beta diversity facets were decomposed into replacement and richness-difference component...

Mitogenomic Insights on the Phylogeny and Evolution of Lynx Spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae)

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Mitogenomic Insights on the Phylogeny and Evolution of Lynx Spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae)

ABSTRACT

Lynx spiders (Oxyopidae Thorell, 1869) have high diversity and widespread distribution (nine genera and 447 species currently described worldwide). They are important predators of many arthropod pests in agriculture and forestry. Although the taxonomy of lynx spiders has received attention, there is a lack of studies on their phylogeny, as well as the evolution of important ecological traits. Herein, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of lynx spiders using mitochondrial genomes, analyzed the characteristics of their mitogenomes, and tested the evolutionary pattern of maternal egg-guarding (EG) behaviors of lynx spiders. Our results suggest that the genera Oxyopes Latreille, 1804, Hamataliwa Keyserling, 1887, Hamadruas Deeleman-Reinhold, 2009, and Peucetia Thorell, 1869 are all the monophyletic groups, but Tapponia Simon, 1885 is not. Their phylogenetic relationships are shown as (Peucetia, (Oxyopes, (Hamadruas, (Tapponia, Hamataliwa)))). The family Oxyopidae is probably originated around 73.5 million years ago (Ma; 67.1–80.4 Ma) during the Late Cretaceous. We found only one gene arrangement pattern in the mitogenomes of Oxyopidae. Within the 13 protein-coding genes, only the COX1 gene change is positively affected by natural selection. The ancestral state reconstructions inferred the evolutionary process of three EG behaviors of lynx spiders. This study has advanced our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among lynx spiders and their mitogenomic evolution, as well as the likely evolutionary pattern of oxyopid maternal EG behaviors.

Fu, D., Liu, L., Wu, C., & Luo, Y. (2025). Mitogenomic Insights on the Phylogeny and Evolution of Lynx Spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae). Ecology and Evolution, 15(9), e72192. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72192