Morphological and molecular evidence supports <I>Argiope chloreis</I> Thorell 1877 and <I>A. chloreides</I> Chrysanthus 1961 (Araneidae: Argiopinae) as distinct species

Abstract

The two green-bodied Argiope chloreis Thorell 1877 and A. chloreides Chrysanthus 1961 from Southeast Asia were shown to be distinct species on the basis of morphological and multi-gene data analyses. The two species recorded interspecific uncorrected p-distances of 7.87−8.83% and 8.21−9.18% based on COI and COII datasets, respectively. Individuals of A. chloreis from Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are considered to be conspecific based on the relatively low intraspecific p-distance as well as similarities in their epigynal structure. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI+COII+H3A dataset has demonstrated that A. chloreis and A. chloreides are sister to each other, and related to A. aemula (Walckenaer 1841) and A. anasuja Thorell 1877. The morphological and genetic characteristics of male A. chloreides were described for the first time.