Between sand and salt: phylogeography of the Australian salt lake wolf spider Lycosa salifodina (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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  Between sand and salt: phylogeography of the Australian salt lake wolf spider Lycosa salifodina (Araneae: Lycosidae) Abstract Australian salt lakes are distinctive ecosystems that support specialized biota and provide opportunities to study evolutionary and biogeographic processes. Many salt lakes occur along ancient river channels (palaeodrainage systems), which form natural replicates for testing hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal among isolated habitats. We examined the phylogeography and genetic structure of the Australian wolf spider Lycosa salifodina McKay, 1976, a salt lake habitat specialist widespread across south-western Australia. We tested the hypothesis that genetic structure in L. salifodina primarily reflects long-term isolation among palaeodrainage systems, with reduced population structuring in more frequently inundated and interconnected lakes. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial CO1 sequences from 26 specimens (collected 2023–2024) recovered three maj...

A new species of orb-weaver genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with notes on a new synonymy of Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843 (Araneae: Araneidae)

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A new species of orb-weaver genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with notes on a new synonymy of Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843 (Araneae: Araneidae)

Abstract

Recent biodiversity expeditions in Danau Sentarum National Park and Betung Kerihun National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia have yielded significant findings in the genus Argiope Audouin, 1826. We described Argiope songketica sp. nov. (♂, ♀) and provided detailed descriptions with high-quality photographs of both sexes. Additionally, we report the first record of Argiope versicolor (Doleschall, 1859) and Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843 in the National Parks, extending their known distribution range. Finally, we propose Argiope sapoa Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 as junior synonym of Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843. These findings highlight the arachnological significance of protected areas in Borneo and contribute to the knowledge of Southeast Asian araneids.

Dhiya’ulhaq, N.U. & Rahmadi, C. (2026) A new species of orb-weaver genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with notes on a new synonymy of Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843 (Araneae: Araneidae). Zootaxa, 5845 (2), 304–318. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5845.2.5