A review of the taxonomy of spiny-backed orb-weaving spiders of the subfamily Gasteracanthinae (Araneae, Araneidae) in Thailand

Macharoenboon, Kongkit; Siriwut, Warut; Jeratthitikul, Ekgachai

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1032.62001

Cited by 880 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 72 publications

(106 reference statements)

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“…Species delimitation using a combination of molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological examination has been widely applied to various animal taxa (Derkarabetian & Hedin, 2014 ; Diaz et al., 2015 ; Gonzalez et al., 2014 ; Kergoat et al., 2015 ; Montagna et al., 2016 ; Su et al., 2016 ). Arachnologists are vigorously elucidating the species diversity of spiders and updating the conventional classification using molecular data while taking morphological identification into consideration (Ballarin & Eguchi, 2023 ; Li et al., 2022 ; Lo et al., 2021 ; Macharoenboon et al., 2021 ). Such approaches are practical in solving the taxonomic problems and obscurities in the species recognition and classification of Salticidae, which are primarily due to remarkable sexual dimorphism in adult morphologies (Bopearachchi et al., 2022 ; Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2021 ; Phung et al., 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High species diversity of Phintella and Phintella‐like spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Vietnam revealed by DNA‐based species delimitation analyses

Phung,

Su,

Yamasaki

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Salticidae (jumping spiders) usually exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism in adult morphology, particularly body coloration and size and shape of the first legs. Consequently, the male and female from the same species might be erroneously assigned to different species or even different genera, which could generate synonymies in classification if only morphological data were used. Phintella is a species‐rich genus of Salticidae, which currently exhibits 76 named species. However, the male–female counterpart is unknown for nearly half of the species. In this study, we used a molecular approach to delineate the species boundaries for Phintella and Phintella‐like specimens collected in Vietnam, using morphological information as supporting data. We used three gene fragments (mitochondrial COI, 16S‐ND1, and nuclear 28S) and biogeographical considerations for species delimitation. A total of 22 putative species were recognized: 18 species of the genus Phintella, one species of the genus Lechia (L. squamata), and three species of the genus Phinteloides. Eleven undescribed species were discovered, of which seven have a male–female combination, two species have only males, and two species have only females. The crown age of Phintella was estimated at the Serravallian stage of the Miocene after the increase of species number around 16 MYA. The crown ages of most putative species recognized in this study were estimated in the Pleistocene, and the divergence among sister species likely occurred from the mid‐Miocene to the Pliocene. Our ancestral range reconstruction results showed that the diversification of our ingroup was governed by progressive dispersal events, i.e., Phintella and their related species in Vietnam diversified while expanding their range on the continent. Our results provide fundamental biodiversity data for a high‐diversity genus in Vietnamese Phintella spiders.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High species diversity of Phintella and Phintella‐like spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Vietnam revealed by DNA‐based species delimitation analyses

Phung,

Su,

Yamasaki

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Which side are you on? Spider web positioning affects prey capture more than body colour

Salgado-Roa,

Stuart-Fox,

Castañeda

et al. 2023

Evol Ecol

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Colour has been hypothesized to play a crucial role in prey capture for sit-and-wait predators that rely on visual cues to deceive their prey. Prey capture success has been directly linked to colouration in spiders; however, evidence so far focuses mostly on dorsal colouration, excluding ventral patterns that are visible to prey and may be relevant for prey attraction. Here, we explored whether the dorsal and ventral colouration of a colour polymorphic spider is associated with light environment and prey capture success. We quantified the number of prey captured across three dorsal (black, white, and yellow) and two ventral (black and a mosaic yellow/orange pattern) morphs of Gasteracantha cancriformis, considering light intensity on dorsal and ventral sides. We found that spiders capture more prey in low light environments, and that individuals often expose their dorsal colouration towards low light levels. We did not find significant differences in prey capture rate between morphs dorsally or ventrally. These results indicate that how and where spiders position their web can be more important for prey capture than colouration. Alternative hypotheses such as aposematism, camouflage and thermoregulation deserve more attention in future studies that aim to understand the role of colouration in spiders and the factors causing spider colour polymorphisms.

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Abdominal Spines on an Amazonian Spiny Spider (Micrathena schreibersi): A Defense Against Mud‐Dauber Wasps (Sceliphron spp.) Attack?

de Almeida,

Oliveira,

Cola

2024

Ethology

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The conspicuous abdominal spines in females of Micrathena spiders have evolved independently in several species within the genus. Like other orb‐web spiders, Micrathena species can serve as prey to parasitoid mud‐dauber wasps, which paralyzes the spiders and inserts them into their nests to serve as food to their larvae. Based on this fact, some studies suggest that Micrathena spines evolved as an antipredator defense against the wasp. However, there is no direct evidence of how the spines could act to avoid the wasp behavior. Here, we present two distinct records involving an Amazonian species of spiny spider, Micrathena schreibersi, where the abdominal spines act as a mechanical barrier against mud‐dauber wasps (Sceliphron spp.). These spines prevented the wasps from completely inserting the paralyzed spiders into their tubular nests, forcing the wasps to alter the opening shape to close it. In our second record, the wasp was not able to completely close the nest, leading to predation of her offspring by ants. We discuss the ecological implications of this potential defense trait for both species and propose future hypotheses to further elucidate how these spines may have evolved based on the foraging behavior of mud‐dauber wasps.

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A review of the taxonomy of spiny-backed orb-weaving spiders of the subfamily Gasteracanthinae (Araneae, Araneidae) in Thailand

Cited by 880 publications

References 72 publications

High species diversity of Phintella and Phintella‐like spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Vietnam revealed by DNA‐based species delimitation analyses

High species diversity of Phintella and Phintella‐like spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Vietnam revealed by DNA‐based species delimitation analyses

Which side are you on? Spider web positioning affects prey capture more than body colour

Abdominal Spines on an Amazonian Spiny Spider (Micrathena schreibersi): A Defense Against Mud‐Dauber Wasps (Sceliphron spp.) Attack?

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