The atlas of phylogenetic data for entelegyne spiders (Araneae, Araneomorphae, Entelegynae), and a reassessment of entelegyne relationships

GRISWOLD, C.; RAMÍREZ, M. J.; CODDINGTON, J. A.; PLATNICK, N. I.

Gent, Bélgica

Congreso; 16th International Congress of Arachnology; 2004

International Society of Arachnology

We present a phylogenetic analysis of the higher groups of entelegyne spiders, with representatives of all entelegyne families with cribellate members and of Palpimanoidea.  We examined 55 exemplar species of eresoids (Oecobiidae, Eresidae), Orbiculariae (Deinopidae, Uloboridae, Araneidae), Palpimanoidea (Archaeidae, Huttoniidae, Mimetidae, Pararchaeidae), titanoecoids (Phyxelididae, Titanoecidae), lycosoids and related groups (Ctenidae, Psechridae, Tengellidae, Zorocratidae, Zoropsidae), and several other entelegyne families of contentious relationships (Agelenidae, Amphinectidae, Desidae, Neolanidae, Stiphidiidae, Amaurobiidae, Dictynidae, Nicodamidae), plus representatives of the relatively basal araneomorph groups Palaeocribellatae (Hypochilidae), Austrochiloidea (Austrochilidae and Gradungulidae), and Haplogynae (Filistatidae, Segestriidae).  We also included the enigmatic cribellate genera Aebutina (Dictynidae?) and Poaka (Psechridae? Amaurobiidae?).  This selection of taxa covers much of the morphological diversity found through major groups of araneomorph spiders.  A reexamination of the morphology produced several surprises.  For example, austrochilids have sexually dimorphic spigots on their posterior spinnerets that we identify as cylindricals; homologs of pseudoflagelliform gland spigots can be found in most entelegyne groups; and accessory claw setae are more widespread than previously thought.  The 154 characters in our dataset include all the classical character sources in spider taxonomy.  We have emphasized the documentation of character definitions and observations, producing a large collection of labeled images.  In our analysis, some of the higher groups of Araneomorphae are contradicted (Araneoclada, the Canoe Tapetum Clade), some are supported only under specific weighting paramenters (titanoecids plus phyxelidids, amaurobiids), some are redefined (the Fused Paracribellar Clade, now including Dictynidae), and others are corroborated (Austrochiloidea, Eresoidea, the RTA clade).