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...

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the jumping spider Spartaeus platnicki

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Chromosome-level genome assembly of the jumping spider Spartaeus platnicki


Abstract

Jumping spiders, a diverse and charismatic group of invertebrates, are renowned for their highly specialized visual systems, complex courtship behaviours, and broad ecological adaptability. However, the persistent lack of high-quality genomic resources has hindered investigations into the genetic basis and phenotypic evolution of these key traits. To address this gap, we performed a de novo assembly of a chromosome-level genome for Spartaeus platnicki, a species representing the basal lineages of jumping spiders. This assembly, achieved by integrating PacBio HiFi long reads, Illumina short reads, RNA-seq, and Hi-C data, comprises 15 pseudo-chromosomes including the X1 and X2 sex chromosomes, spanning a total length of 3.71 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 262 Mb and a BUSCO completeness of 98.60%. Repetitive elements account for approximately 65.57% of the genome. We annotated 15,660 protein-coding genes, achieving a BUSCO completeness of 97.60%. This high-quality genome establishes a foundational resource for investigating the genetic architecture underlying key traits and their phenotypic evolution in jumping spiders.

Yang, Z., Chen, A., Zhang, F., & Zhang, J. (2026). Chromosome-level genome assembly of the jumping spider Spartaeus platnicki. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07685-3