A new species of the Goblin Spider genus Predatoroonops/ Brescovit, Rheims amp; Ott 2012 (Araneae, Dysderoidea: Oonopidae), with new records for the genus.

The family Oonopidae Simon, 1890 is composed of tiny spiders between 0.5 and 4mm (Baehr et al. 2012) that are distributed all over the world (Platnick et al. 2020; World Spider Catalog 2021). They occupy diverse habitats, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions (Platnick et al. 2020), generally associated with the soil and litter fauna (Ranasinghe Benjamin 2018). Oonopidae is among the eight most diverse spider families with 114 genera and 1872 species (World Spider Catalog 2021). Most of this diversity was discovered after 2006, as a result of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) project: Goblin Spider (Platnick et al. 2012). Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses recovered Oonopidae as monophyletic (Wheeler et al. 2017), hypothesis supported by the presence of a synapomorphic pair of completely fused testicles (Burger Michalik 2010). Brazil has a great diversity of Oonopidae (e.g., Brescovit et al. 2012a; Platnick et al. 2013; Feitosa et al. 2017), including the genus Predatoroonops Brescovit, Rheims Ott 2012, endemic to the Atlantic Forest, that includes 17 species (World Spider Catalog 2021). The genus can be recognized by the male chelicerae frontally modified, with one or two pairs of distally sclerotized, and sometimes branched, apophyses, and by the pars cephalica dorsally squared (Brescovit et al. 2012b). In this paper, we describe a new species of the genus, based on a male specimen from the State of Minas Gerais: Predatoroonops stani sp. nov.. Also, we give new records for Predatoroonops yautja Brescovit, Rheims Santos, 2012 from the same state and a distribution map with all the records of Predatoroonops along the Atlantic Forest.

Revision of the Neotropical spider genus Acanthoctenus (Araneae: Ctenidae: Acanthocteninae).

We revise the genus Acanthoctenus Keyserling, 1877 recognizing thirteen valid species, of which five are new species and two are re-validated. Further, we find one new synonymy and transfer one species. We describe Acanthoctenus alux sp. nov. from Guatemala, A. chickeringi sp. nov. and A. lamarrei sp. nov. from Panama, A. manauara sp. nov. from Brazil and A. torotoro sp. nov. from Bolivia. We revalidate Acanthoctenus dumicola Simon, 1906 stat. res. from Venezuela, and A. virginea (Kraus, 1955) stat. res., comb. nov. from El Salvador. We transfer Acanthoctenus mammifer to Viracucha mammifer (Mello-Leitão, 1939) comb. nov., from Brazil. Acanthoctenus maculatus Petrunkevitch, 1925 and Gephyroctenus kolosvaryi Caporiacco, 1947 are considered species inquirendae in Acanthocteninae and Ctenidae, respectively, and A. obauratus Simon, 1906 and A. rubrotaeniatus Mello-Leitão, 1947 are considered incertae sedis in Acanthocteninae and Acantheinae, respectively. We also describe for the first time the female of Acanthoctenus spiniger Keyserling, 1877, the type species of the genus. We provide illustrations of male and female diagnostic characters, genitalia, habitus, and measurements to support the genus re-description and further identification of its species. We yield a distributional map of the specimens recorded and the description of the natural history of Acanthoctenus manauara sp. nov.

Molecular phylogeny and revision of the false violin spiders (Araneae: Drymusidae) of Africa

The family Drymusidae includes 16 cryptic spiders that build irregular webs in dark places. The family is distributed in South Africa, the Neotropical and Andean regions. Here, we use a molecular approach to infer the relationships of Drymusidae using three mitochondrial (COI, 16S, 12S) and three nuclear (H3, 28S, 18S) markers. Our preferred analyses support Drymusidae and its American and African clades, which emerge as sister groups. Our analyses suggest a Gondwanan distribution of Drymusidae and a Westward radiation of Izithunzi gen. nov. within South Africa, but both hypotheses remain to be thoroughly tested. We describe Izithunzi gen. nov. for the African species. All previous African species are redescribed and new combinations are proposed: Izithunzi capense (Simon) comb. nov., Izithunzi productum (Purcell) comb. nov. and Izithunzi silvicola (Purcell) comb. nov. Two new species are described: Izithunzi lina sp. nov. (known from both sexes) and Izithunzi zondii sp. nov. (known only from females). The male of I. productum (Purcell) comb. nov. is also described for the first time. We consider Loxosceles valida Lawrence, 1964, a junior synonym of I. capense (Simon) comb. nov. (new synonymy). We also provide a dichotomous key for Izithunzi gen. nov. species.

Molecular phylogeny and revision of the false violin spiders (Araneae: Drymusidae) of Africa

The family Drymusidae includes 16 cryptic spiders that build irregular webs in dark places. The family is distributed in South Africa, the Neotropical and Andean regions. Here, we use a molecular approach to infer the relationships of Drymusidae using three mitochondrial (COI, 16S, 12S) and three nuclear (H3, 28S, 18S) markers. Our preferred analyses support Drymusidae and its American and African clades, which emerge as sister groups. Our analyses suggest a Gondwanan distribution of Drymusidae and a Westward radiation of Izithunzi gen. nov. within South Africa, but both hypotheses remain to be thoroughly tested. We describe Izithunzi gen. nov. for the African species. All previous African species are redescribed and new combinations are proposed: Izithunzi capense (Simon) comb. nov., Izithunzi productum (Purcell) comb. nov. and Izithunzi silvicola (Purcell) comb. nov. Two new species are described: Izithunzi lina sp. nov. (known from both sexes) and Izithunzi zondii sp. nov. (known only from females). The male of I. productum (Purcell) comb. nov. is also described for the first time. We consider Loxosceles valida Lawrence, 1964, a junior synonym of I. capense (Simon) comb. nov. (new synonymy). We also provide a dichotomous key for Izithunzi gen. nov. species.

The evolution and function of spider feet (Araneae: Arachnida): multiple acquisitions of distal articulations

The tip of the legs concentrates the interactions that a spider has with the substrate where it lives. We review the morphology and evolution of spider feet, discussing the functional anatomy of their articulations and proposing a coherent terminology. All spiders consistently have two tendons to operate their feet and show a stereotyped sequence of levation of the pretarsus and its claws prior to detachment from the substrate. A pair of slit sensilla, the foot slits, provide a reliable landmark across most spiders. The evolutionary reconstruction of morphological variants using a composite tree of spiders indicates that similar morphologies arose independently, with multiple acquisitions of one to four distal articulations. A distal articulation appeared repeatedly at the foot slits, the podotarsite, and at least three independent origins of highly articulated feet correspond with cuticular structures to retain the flexor tendons in the proper ventral position. Our results indicate that while in some spiders the adhesive setae were added to articulate feet, in other taxa the sequence was opposite. We conclude that a limited repertoire of feet articulations appeared and reversed many times in spider evolution, and combine in many ways to produce a highly diverse functional unit.

The spider tree of life: phylogeny of Araneae based on target-gene analyses from an extensive taxon sampling

We present a phylogenetic analysis of spiders using a dataset of 932 spider species, representing 115 families (only the family Synaphridae is unrepresented), 700 known genera, and additional representatives of 26 unidentified or undescribed genera. Eleven genera of the orders Amblypygi, Palpigradi, Schizomida and Uropygi are included as outgroups. The dataset includes six markers from the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI) and nuclear (histone H3, 18S, 28S) genomes, and was analysed by multiple methods, including constrained analyses using a highly supported backbone tree from transcriptomic data. We recover most of the higher-level structure of the spider tree with good support, including Mesothelae, Opisthothelae, Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae. Several of our analyses recover Hypochilidae and Filistatidae as sister groups, as suggested by previous transcriptomic analyses. The Synspermiata are robustly supported, and the families Trogloraptoridae and Caponiidae are found as sister to the Dysderoidea. Our results support the Lost Tracheae clade, including Pholcidae, Tetrablemmidae, Diguetidae, Plectreuridae and the family Pacullidae (restored status) separate from Tetrablemmidae. The Scytodoidea include Ochyroceratidae along with Sicariidae, Scytodidae, Drymusidae and Periegopidae; our results are inconclusive about the separation of these last two families. We did not recover monophyletic Austrochiloidea and Leptonetidae, but our data suggest that both groups are more closely related to the Cylindrical Gland Spigot clade rather than to Synspermiata. Palpimanoidea is not recovered by our analyses, but also not strongly contradicted. We find support for Entelegynae and Oecobioidea (Oecobiidae plus Hersiliidae), and ambiguous placement of cribellate orb-weavers, compatible with their non-monophyly. Nicodamoidea (Nicodamidae plus Megadictynidae) and Araneoidea composition and relationships are consistent with recent analyses. We did not obtain resolution for the titanoecoids (Titanoecidae and Phyxelididae), but the Retrolateral Tibial Apophysis clade is well supported. Penestomidae, and probably Homalonychidae, are part of Zodarioidea, although the latter family was set apart by recent transcriptomic analyses. Our data support a large group that we call the marronoid clade (including the families Amaurobiidae, Desidae, Dictynidae, Hahniidae, Stiphidiidae, Agelenidae and Toxopidae). The circumscription of most marronoid families is redefined here. Amaurobiidae include the Amaurobiinae and provisionally Macrobuninae. We transfer Malenellinae (Malenella, from Anyphaenidae), Chummidae (Chumma) (new syn.) and Tasmarubriinae (Tasmarubrius, Tasmabrochus and Teeatta, from Amphinectidae) to Macrobuninae. Cybaeidae are redefined to include Calymmaria, Cryphoeca, Ethobuella and Willisius (transferred from Hahniidae), and Blabomma and Yorima (transferred from Dictynidae). Cycloctenidae are redefined to include Orepukia (transferred from Agelenidae) and Pakeha and Paravoca (transferred from Amaurobiidae). Desidae are redefined to include five subfamilies: Amphinectinae, with Amphinecta, Mamoea, Maniho, Paramamoea and Rangitata (transferred from Amphinectidae); Ischaleinae, with Bakala and Manjala (transferred from Amaurobiidae) and Ischalea (transferred from Stiphidiidae); Metaltellinae, with Austmusia, Buyina, Calacadia, Cunnawarra, Jalkaraburra, Keera, Magua, Metaltella, Penaoola and Quemusia; Porteriinae (new rank), with Baiami, Cambridgea, Corasoides and Nanocambridgea (transferred from Stiphidiidae); and Desinae, with Desis, and provisionally Poaka (transferred from Amaurobiidae) and Barahna (transferred from Stiphidiidae). Argyroneta is transferred from Cybaeidae to Dictynidae. Cicurina is transferred from Dictynidae to Hahniidae. The genera Neoramia (from Agelenidae) and Aorangia, Marplesia and Neolana (from Amphinectidae) are transferred to Stiphidiidae. The family Toxopidae (restored status) includes two subfamilies: Myroinae, with Gasparia, Gohia, Hulua, Neomyro, Myro, Ommatauxesis and Otagoa (transferred from Desidae); and Toxopinae, with Midgee and Jamara, formerly Midgeeinae, new syn. (transferred from Amaurobiidae) and Hapona, Laestrygones, Lamina, Toxops and Toxopsoides (transferred from Desidae). We obtain a monophyletic Oval Calamistrum clade and Dionycha; Sparassidae, however, are not dionychans, but probably the sister group of those two clades. The composition of the Oval Calamistrum clade is confirmed (including Zoropsidae, Udubidae, Ctenidae, Oxyopidae, Senoculidae, Pisauridae, Trechaleidae, Lycosidae, Psechridae and Thomisidae), affirming previous findings on the uncertain relationships of the "ctenids" Ancylometes and Cupiennius, although a core group of Ctenidae are well supported. Our data were ambiguous as to the monophyly of Oxyopidae. In Dionycha, we found a first split of core Prodidomidae, excluding the Australian Molycriinae, which fall distantly from core prodidomids, among gnaphosoids. The rest of the dionychans form two main groups, Dionycha part A and part B. The former includes much of the Oblique Median Tapetum clade (Trochanteriidae, Gnaphosidae, Gallieniellidae, Phrurolithidae, Trachelidae, Gnaphosidae, Ammoxenidae, Lamponidae and the Molycriinae), and also Anyphaenidae and Clubionidae. Orthobula is transferred from Phrurolithidae to Trachelidae. Our data did not allow for complete resolution for the gnaphosoid families. Dionycha part B includes the families Salticidae, Eutichuridae, Miturgidae, Philodromidae, Viridasiidae, Selenopidae, Corinnidae and Xenoctenidae (new fam., including Xenoctenus, Paravulsor and Odo, transferred from Miturgidae, as well as Incasoctenus from Ctenidae). We confirm the inclusion of Zora (formerly Zoridae) within Miturgidae.

The life and adventures of an eight-legged castaway: colonization and diversification of philisca ghost spiders on robinson crusoe island (Araneae, Anyphaenidae)

Oceanic archipelagoes, by their young origin and isolation, provide privileged settings to study the origin and diversification of species. Here, we study the anyphaenid spider genus Philisca, endemic to the Valdivian temperate rainforest, which includes species living both on the mainland as well as on the Robison Crusoe Island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. Anyphaenids, as many spiders, are potentially good colonizers due their ability for ballooning, an airborne dispersal mediated by strands of silk that are caught in the wind. We use a molecular approach to estimate both the phylogenetic relationships and the timeframe of species diversification of Philisca, with the aim to infer its evolutionary history. We further estimate the rates of speciation on both the insular and continental Philisca species and score the micro habitat used by each species and their sizes as a proxy to evaluate ecological niche diversification within the island. Most analyses support the monophyly of Philisca, with the exclusion of Philisca tripunctata. Our results reveal colonization from a single lineage that postdated the origin of the island, followed by rapid (similar to 2 Ma) diversification. The ancestral microhabitat was most likely leaf-dwelling but we identify two independent microhabitat shifts. Our data provides evidence that Philisca has undergone an adaptive radiation on the Robison Crusoe Island. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.