Integrative species delimitation and five new species of lynx spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae) in Taiwan.

An accurate assessment of species diversity is a cornerstone of biology and conservation. The lynx spiders (Araneae: Oxyopidae) represent one of the most diverse and widespread cursorial spider groups, however their species richness in Asia is highly underestimated. In this study, we revised species diversity with extensive taxon sampling in Taiwan and explored species boundaries based on morphological traits and genetic data using a two-step approach of molecular species delimitation. Firstly, we employed a single COI dataset and applied two genetic distance-based methods: ABGD and ASAP, and two topology-based methods: GMYC and bPTP. Secondly, we further analyzed the lineages that were not consistently delimited, and incorporated H3 to the dataset for a coalescent-based analysis using BPP. A total of eight morphological species were recognized, including five new species, Hamataliwa cordivulva sp. nov., Hamat. leporauris sp. nov., Tapponia auriola sp. nov., T. parva sp. nov. and T. rarobulbus sp. nov., and three newly recorded species, Hamadruas hieroglyphica (Thorell, 1887), Hamat. foveata Tang & Li, 2012 and Peucetia latikae Tikader, 1970. All eight morphological species exhibited reciprocally monophyletic lineages. The results of molecular-based delimitation analyses suggested a variety of species hypotheses that did not fully correspond to the eight morphological species. We found that Hamat. cordivulva sp. nov. and Hamat. foveata showed shallow genetic differentiation in the COI, but they were unequivocally distinguishable according to their genitalia. In contrast, T. parva sp. nov. represented a deep divergent lineage, while differences of genitalia were not detected. This study highlights the need to comprehensively employ multiple evidence and methods to delineate species boundaries and the values of diagnostic morphological characters for taxonomic studies in lynx spiders.

Tree-dwelling wolves: a new arboreal Hogna species (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Taiwan.

Hogna Simon, 1885 is one of the most diverse genera of wolf spiders, with species that are almost exclusively ground-dwellers. A recent discovery of a tree-hole-living species in Taiwan was therefore surprising. Here, we describe Hogna arborea sp. nov. using a combination of morphological and molecular taxonomic evidence. We also discuss the arboreal lifestyle of this new species and emphasize the need for more detailed ecological research to assess its conservation status.

Species delimitation and taxonomic revision of Oxyopes (Araneae: Oxyopidae) of Taiwan, with description of two new species.

This study revised the spider genus Oxyopes Latreille, 1804 in Taiwan and delineated the species boundaries based on morphological and molecular characters. A total of seven Oxyopes spiders were recognized, including two newly described species, O. hasta sp. nov. and O. taiwanensis sp. nov. Oxyopes fujianicus Song Zhu 1993 from Yilan County, Nantou County, and Kaohsuing City, and O. striagatus Song 1999 from New Taipei City, Taichung City, Nantou County, and Kaohsiung City were recorded for the first time in Taiwan. An identification key and a distributional map of Taiwanese Oxyopes species were provided. Partial COI sequences were obtained for molecular phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies, and DNA barcoding gap analysis supported morphologically defined species. However, molecular species delimitation based on Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), PID (Liberal), and generalized mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) were incongruent in species assignment. The results showed that the interspecific genetic divergence between O. sertatus and O. taiwanensis was relatively low (1.28 ± 0.43%), and the intraspecific genetic divergence of O. striagatus was relatively high (1.69 ± 0.35%). Ecological data, additional samples and genetic loci are required to further examine the level of reproductive isolation and patterns of population genetic structure in Taiwanese Oxyopes.

Redescription of a wall crab spider species from Taiwan: Siamspinops formosensis (Kayashima, 1943) comb. nov., with the first description of males and taxonomic notes (Araneae: Selenopidae).

The wall crab spider Selenops formosensis Kayashima, 1943 was described from three females collected from northern Taiwan (Kayashima 1943a), but subsequently referred to as S. formosanus and S. formosansis in an illustrated handbook on Taiwanese spiders written by the same author (Kayashima 1943b). The original descriptions lacked illustrations of the epigyne or vulva which are extremely useful in determining genera and species of Selenopidae.