Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy

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  Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy The orb-weaver genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 has historically served as a heterogeneous assemblage for numerous araneid spiders lacking clear generic placement, and several Asian species formerly assigned to Araneus have subsequently been transferred to more narrowly defined genera. One species that still needs further investigation on its true identity is Araneus nox (Simon, 1877), originally described as Epeira nox Simon, 1877 from Basilan Island, Philippines, and later transferred to Araneus by Simon (1905). In the same year as the description of Epeira nox, Thorell (1877) described Epeira pilula from the Moluccas (Indonesia), which was subsequently synonymised under Epeira nox by Simon (1880). Despite its broad Oriental distribution, the taxonomic identity and generic placement of A. nox have remained insuff...

Integrative taxonomy unveils a new lineage within Acanthogonatus centralis Goloboff, 1995 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Pycnothelidae): description of Acanthogonatus monicae sp. nov. from central Argentina

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Integrative taxonomy unveils a new lineage within Acanthogonatus centralis Goloboff, 1995 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Pycnothelidae): description of Acanthogonatus monicae sp. nov. from central Argentina

Abstract

A new species of Pycnothelidae Chamberlin, 1917 from the Pampean mountain ranges, Córdoba, Argentina is described and illustrated: Acanthogonatus monicae sp. nov. Here, we combine morphological analyses, molecular phylogeny based on the COI gene, species delimitation methods (bPTP, ABGD), and ecological niche modeling. These approaches consistently support two independent evolutionary lineages previously assigned to A. centralis Goloboff, 1995. The new species is morphologically similar to A. centralis and A. parana Goloboff, 1995, but differs from both by genitalic characters in males and females. Additionally, an updated identification key for Argentine species of Acanthogonatus is provided.

Signorotto F, Ferretti N (2026) Integrative taxonomy unveils a new lineage within Acanthogonatus centralis Goloboff, 1995 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Pycnothelidae): description of Acanthogonatus monicae sp. nov. from central Argentina. Evolutionary Systematics 10(1): 31-46. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.10.172168