Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia

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  Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia Abstract Tarantulas play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating insect populations. However, little is known about the soil preferences and burrow structures of tarantulas in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the soil preference as well as the burrow structure of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  from Penang Island. The soil characteristics of the soil samples collected around the burrows of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  (n = 30) and  Chilobrachys andersoni  (n = 30) were determined using soil texture analysis. The measurements and burrow structures from adults and juveniles of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  were determined. It was revealed that the moisture content and clay percentage in the soil samples around burrows of  Chilobrachys anderso...

Biogeography of the widespread Aotearoa New Zealand mite harvester genus Rakaia (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) based on UCE-derived subgenomic data

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Biogeography of the widespread Aotearoa New Zealand mite harvester genus Rakaia (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) based on UCE-derived subgenomic data

Abstract

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to a remarkable number of endemic taxa, some of which have existed on the archipelago since before the breakup of Gondwana. The mite harvesters (suborder Cyphophthalmi), tiny non-spider arachnids that dwell in forest leaf litter and caves, are one such group. The mite harvester family Pettalidae Shear exhibits a classic Gondwanan distribution with notable diversity in Aotearoa, which is home to three pettalid genera. Our research focuses on the evolution of the most widespread and speciose Aotearoa pettalid genus, Rakaia Hirst, 1926. Through phylogenetic analysis, we provide a window into patterns of ancient diversification and infer historical biogeographic trends. We generated subgenomic data through target enrichment of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) using an Arachnida-specific probe set; the 50% and 75% taxon-occupancy matrix retrieved 848 and 585 loci, respectively. In addition to generating the first fully resolved phylogeny of Rakaia, we performed a molecular clock analysis and tested for shifts in diversification rates in order to explore the effect of geological events such as the Oligocene Drowning, the uplift of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, and forest habitat contraction and fragmentation during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Alafranji, Z. R., Morisawa, R., Aspholm, P. L., Fu, P. A., W. Moyes, N. H., A. Heine, H. L., Hejmadi, S. R., Derkarabetian, S., & Boyer, S. L. (2026). Biogeography of the widespread Aotearoa New Zealand mite harvester genus Rakaia (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) based on UCE-derived subgenomic data. Systematic Entomology, 51(1), e70021. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.70021