engleski

A spider odyssey: systematics and evolutionary history of the family Dysderidae

Dysderidae is a highly diverse spider family, mostly circumscribed to the Mediterranean region. The family is currently classified into 24 genera and three subfamilies, but its taxonomy is debatable. The distribution of the species richness is highly biased, 80% of the species belong to just two genera, namely Dysdera 282 species) and Harpactea 180). All dysderids are nocturnal ground dwellers that actively hunt their prey. Cave adaptation is prevalent across the family, and some genera are exclusively known from cave-dwelling species. Our understanding of the origin and evolutionary processes within the family have been hampered by the lack of a quantitative hypothesis on its phylogenetic relationships. Here, we present the results of a target, multi-locus phylogenetic analysis, using mitochondrial (COI, 16S and 12S) and nuclear genes (H3, 28S and 18S), of an exhaustive taxonomic sample within Dysderidae and across related families (Synspermiata). We further estimated divergence times using a combination of fossil and biogeographic node calibrations. Our results support the monophyly of two subfamilies (Rhodinae and Dysderinae), but rejects Harpacteinae as currently defined. Additionally, the clades recovered within Harpacteinae do not support its current taxonomy, confirming that diagnostic traits at the genus level need to be re-evaluated. The origin of the family most likely post-dated the break-up of Pangea and cave adaptation may be older than previously expected.

Spider ; Mediterranean ; Cave adaptation ; Taxonomy ; Evolution ; Dysderidae ; phylogenetic inference ; dating analysis

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