A Preliminary Molecular Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships of Australasian Wolf Spider Genera (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT.A data-set from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene subunit of 11 Australasian lycosid species (six New Zealand species and five Australian species) was generated. Three North American lycosid species, one European species and one New Zealand pisaurid (outgroup) were also sequenced. The sequence data for the 16 species were combined with the published sequences of 12 European lycosids, two Asian lycosids and one Asian pisaurid and were analyzed using parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses. The resulting phylogenetic trees reveal that Australasian species largely form clades distinct from Palearctic and Holarctic species providing further evidence against the placement of Australasian species in Northern Hemisphere genera. New Zealand wolf spiders appear to be related to a subset of Australian genera whereas the other Australian lycosid genera are related to Asian/Holarctic faunas. Gene sequences in the 12S region were useful when examining relationships between closely related genera, but were not as informative for deeper generic relationships.

Chromosome evolution in lycosoid spiders (Araneomorphae): a scenario based on analysis of seven species of the families Lycosidae, Senoculidae and Trechaleidae

“…Our results point to a high morphological karyotype uniformity within the group, which is not exclusive to cytogenetic features, considering that Vink et al (2002) emphasized the problem of generic limits within this clade due to the morphological uniformity of the species.…”

Molecular Insights Into the Biogeography and Species Status of New Zealand's Endemic Latrodectus Spider Species; L. Katipo and L. Atritus (Araneae, Theridiidae)

“…Much of the present day distribution of Latrodectus is likely to be due to dispersal events (Garb et al 2004) and the low genetic divergence between L. hasselti, L. katipo and L. atritus in this study and between L. hasselti and L. katipo in Garb et al (2004) suggests that Latrodectus was not present on New Zealand when it separated from Gondwana 60-80 mya. This assertion is supported by growing evidence that the New Zealand spider fauna has been, and continues to be, influenced by the arrival of spiders from Australia (Vink & Sirvid 2000;Vink et al 2002;Vink & Paterson 2003). Given that suitable L. katipo and L. atritus habitat has probably been present in New Zealand for a long time (Stevens et al 1988) and that the genetic evidence indicates L. hasselti is a good disperser, it seems unlikely that L. katipo and L. atritus are recent arrivals to New Zealand.…”

Evolution of water surface locomotion by spiders: a comparative approach

“…Because of the prevalence and variability of rowing behaviour in the wolf spiders (Lycosidae), we sampled this family intensively. Representatives from each of the subfamilies ( sensu Dondale, 1986 but see Vink, Mitchell & Paterson, 2002) were tested and at least one species from each subfamily demonstrated rowing (Fig. 3).…”