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Jiang H, Zhan Y, Wu Q, Zhang H, Kuntner M, Tu L. A spider mating plug functions to protect sperm. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301290. [PMID: 38551985 PMCID: PMC10980215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Mating plugs in animals are ubiquitous and are commonly interpreted to be products of mating strategies. In spiders, however, mating plugs may also take on functions beyond female remating prevention. Due to the vagaries of female genital (spermathecal) anatomy, most spiders face the problem of having to secure additional, non-anatomical, protection for transferred sperm. Here, we test the hypothesis that mating plugs, rather than (or in addition to) being adaptations for mating strategies, may serve as sperm protection mechanism. Based on a comparative study on 411 epigyna sampled from 36 families, 187 genera, 330 species of entelegyne spiders, our results confirm the necessity of a sperm protection mechanism. We divided the entelegyne spermathecae into four types: SEG, SED, SCG and SCD. We also studied detailed morphology of epigynal tracts in the spider Diphya wulingensis having the SEG type spermathecae, using 3D-reconstruction based on semi thin histological series section. In this species, we hypothesize that two distinct types of mating plug, the sperm plug and the secretion plug, serve different functions. Morphological details support this: sperm plugs are formed on a modified spermathecal wall by the spilled sperm, and function as a temporary protection mechanism to prevent sperm from leaking and desiccating, while secretion plugs function in postcopulation both as a permanent protection mechanism, and to prevent additional mating. Furthermore, with the modified spermathecal wall of S2 stalk, the problem of shunt of sperm input and output, and the possibility of female multiple mating have been resolved. Variation in spermathecal morphology also suggests that the problem of sperm protection might be resolved in different ways in spiders. Considering mating plugs of varying shapes and origins in the vast morphospace of spiders, we conclude that mating plugs might serve different purposes that relate both to mating strategies, as well as to sperm protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yongjia Zhan
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Lang Yue Campus of Beijing 12th High School, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Huitao Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Lihong Tu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
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2
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Yu KP, Kuntner M. Discovering unknown Madagascar biodiversity: integrative taxonomy of raft spiders (Pisauridae: Dolomedes). PeerJ 2024; 12:e16781. [PMID: 38435991 PMCID: PMC10906265 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot, but its biodiversity continues to be underestimated and understudied. Of raft spiders, genus Dolomedes Latreille, 1804, literature only reports two species on Madagascar. Our single expedition to humid forests of eastern and northern Madagascar, however, yielded a series of Dolomedes exemplars representing both sexes of five morphospecies. To avoid only using morphological diagnostics, we devised and tested an integrative taxonomic model for Dolomedes based on the unified species concept. The model first determines morphospecies within a morphometrics framework, then tests their validity via species delimitation using COI. It then incorporates habitat preferences, geological barriers, and dispersal related traits to form hypotheses about gene flow limitations. Our results reveal four new Dolomedes species that we describe from both sexes as Dolomedes gregoric sp. nov., D. bedjanic sp. nov., D. hydatostella sp. nov., and D. rotundus sp. nov. The range of D. kalanoro Silva & Griswold, 2013, now also known from both sexes, is expanded to eastern Madagascar. By increasing the known raft spider diversity from one valid species to five, our results merely scratch the surface of the true Dolomedes species diversity on Madagascar. Our integrative taxonomic model provides the framework for future revisions of raft spiders anywhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuang-Ping Yu
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Kralj-Fišer S, Kuntner M, Debes PV. Sex-specific trait architecture in a spider with sexual size dimorphism. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1428-1437. [PMID: 37702091 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism, or sex-specific trait expression, may evolve when selection favours different optima for the same trait between sexes, that is, under antagonistic selection. Intra-locus sexual conflict exists when the sexually dimorphic trait under antagonistic selection is based on genes shared between sexes. A common assumption is that the presence of sexual-size dimorphism (SSD) indicates that sexual conflict has been, at least partly, resolved via decoupling of the trait architecture between sexes. However, whether and how decoupling of the trait architecture between sexes has been realized often remains unknown. We tested for differences in architecture of adult body size between sexes in a species with extreme SSD, the African hermit spider (Nephilingis cruentata), where adult female body size greatly exceeds that of males. Specifically, we estimated the sex-specific importance of genetic and maternal effects on adult body size among individuals that we laboratory-reared for up to eight generations. Quantitative genetic model estimates indicated that size variation in females is to a larger extent explained by direct genetic effects than by maternal effects, but in males to a larger extent by maternal than by genetic effects. We conclude that this sex-specific body-size architecture enables body-size evolution to proceed much more independently than under a common architecture to both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Kralj-Fišer
- ZRC SAZU, Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- ZRC SAZU, Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Paul Vincent Debes
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Sauðárkrókur, Iceland
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Kuntner M, Čandek K, Gregorič M, Turk E, Hamilton CA, Chamberland L, Starrett J, Cheng RC, Coddington JA, Agnarsson I, Bond JE. Increasing Information Content and Diagnosability in Family-Level Classifications. Syst Biol 2023; 72:964-971. [PMID: 37161751 PMCID: PMC10405354 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher-level classifications often must account for monotypic taxa representing depauperate evolutionary lineages and lacking synapomorphies of their better-known, well-defined sister clades. In a ranked (Linnean) or unranked (phylogenetic) classification system, discovering such a depauperate taxon does not necessarily invalidate the rank classification of sister clades. Named higher taxa must be monophyletic to be phylogenetically valid. Ranked taxa above the species level should also maximize information content, diagnosability, and utility (e.g., in biodiversity conservation). In spider classification, families are the highest rank that is systematically catalogued, and incertae sedis is not allowed. Consequently, it is important that family-level taxa be well defined and informative. We revisit the classification problem of Orbipurae, an unranked suprafamilial clade containing the spider families Nephilidae, Phonognathidae, and Araneidae sensu stricto. We argue that, to maximize diagnosability, information content, conservation utility, and practical taxonomic considerations, this "splitting" scheme is superior to its recently proposed alternative, which lumps these families together as Araneidae sensu lato. We propose to redefine Araneidae and recognize a monogeneric spider family, Paraplectanoididae fam. nov. to accommodate the depauperate lineage Paraplectanoides. We present new subgenomic data to stabilize Orbipurae topology which also supports our proposed family-level classification. Our example from spiders demonstrates why classifications must be able to accommodate depauperate evolutionary lineages, for example, Paraplectanoides. Finally, although clade age should not be a criterion to determine rank, other things being equal, comparable ages of similarly ranked taxa do benefit comparative biology. [Classification, family rank, phylogenomics, systematics, monophyly, spider phylogeny.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, SI-1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
- University of Ljubljana, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 Hubei, China
| | - Klemen Čandek
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, SI-1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Turk
- University of Ljubljana, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Chris A Hamilton
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 2329, Moscow, ID 83844-2329, USA
| | - Lisa Chamberland
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - James Starrett
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, No.145 Xingda Rd., South Dist., Taichung City 402, Taiwan
| | - Jonathan A Coddington
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 Hubei, China
- Faculty of Life- and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jason E Bond
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
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5
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Framenau VW, Kuntner M. The new Australian leaf-curling orb-weaving spider genus Leviana (Araneae, Araneidae). EvolSyst 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.83573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The new Australian orb-weaving spider genus Levianagen. nov. is described to include five species, all known from both sexes: Leviana dimidiata (L. Koch, 1871) comb. nov. (type species) (= Epeira sylvicola Rainbow, 1897 syn. nov.), L. cincinnatasp. nov., L. foliumsp. nov., L. minimasp. nov. and L. mulieraria (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov. Male pedipalp morphology, specifically the presence of a single patella spine and the median apophysis forming an arch over the radix, place Levianagen. nov. in the informal Australian ‘backobourkiine’ clade; however, the genus differs from all other genera of this group by the presence of a spine inside the basal median apophysis arch of the male pedipalp, an epigyne that is wider than long with a scape that is approximately as long as the epigyne (but often broken off) and a lack of humeral humps on the elongate ovoid abdomen. In addition, unlike any other backobourkiine, Levianagen. nov. incorporate a rolled leaf as retreat into the periphery of their web. Levianagen. nov. species exhibit only a moderate sexual size dimorphism with female to male ratios between 1.3 and 1.7. Levianagen. nov. occurs in eastern Australia from northern Queensland in the north to Victoria in the south, with a single tropical species, L. mulierariacomb. nov., spreading into northern Western Australia.
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6
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Babb PL, Gregorič M, Lahens NF, Nicholson DN, Hayashi CY, Higgins L, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I, Voight BF. Characterization of the genome and silk-gland transcriptomes of Darwin’s bark spider (Caerostris darwini). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268660. [PMID: 35666730 PMCID: PMC9170102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural silks crafted by spiders comprise some of the most versatile materials known. Artificial silks–based on the sequences of their natural brethren–replicate some desirable biophysical properties and are increasingly utilized in commercial and medical applications today. To characterize the repertoire of protein sequences giving silks their biophysical properties and to determine the set of expressed genes across each unique silk gland contributing to the formation of natural silks, we report here draft genomic and transcriptomic assemblies of Darwin’s bark spider, Caerostris darwini, an orb-weaving spider whose dragline is one of the toughest known biomaterials on Earth. We identify at least 31 putative spidroin genes, with expansion of multiple spidroin gene classes relative to the golden orb-weaver, Trichonephila clavipes. We observed substantial sharing of spidroin repetitive sequence motifs between species as well as new motifs unique to C. darwini. Comparative gene expression analyses across six silk gland isolates in females plus a composite isolate of all silk glands in males demonstrated gland and sex-specific expression of spidroins, facilitating putative assignment of novel spidroin genes to classes. Broad expression of spidroins across silk gland types suggests that silks emanating from a given gland represent composite materials to a greater extent than previously appreciated. We hypothesize that the extraordinary toughness of C. darwini major ampullate dragline silk may relate to the unique protein composition of major ampullate spidroins, combined with the relatively high expression of stretchy flagelliform spidroins whose union into a single fiber may be aided by novel motifs and cassettes that act as molecule-binding helices. Our assemblies extend the catalog of sequences and sets of expressed genes that confer the unique biophysical properties observed in natural silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul L. Babb
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nicholas F. Lahens
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - David N. Nicholson
- Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Cheryl Y. Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Linden Higgins
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
- * E-mail: (IA); (BFV)
| | - Benjamin F. Voight
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (IA); (BFV)
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Gregorič M, Kutnjak D, Bačnik K, Gostinčar C, Pecman A, Ravnikar M, Kuntner M. Spider webs as eDNA samplers: biodiversity assessment across the tree of life. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2534-2545. [PMID: 35510791 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The concept of environmental DNA (eDNA) utilizes nucleic acids of organisms directly from the environment. Recent breakthrough studies have successfully detected a wide spectrum of prokaryotic and eukaryotic eDNA from a variety of environments, ranging from ancient to modern, and from terrestrial to aquatic. With their diversity and ubiquity in nature, spider webs might act as powerful biofilters and could thus represent a promising new source of eDNA, but their utility under natural field conditions is severely understudied. Here, we bridge this knowledge gap to establish spider webs as a source of eDNA with far reaching implications. First, we conducted a field study to track specific arthropod targets from different spider webs. We then employed high-throughput amplicon sequencing of taxonomic barcodes to investigate the utility of spider web eDNA for biodiversity monitoring of animals, fungi, and bacteria. Our results show that genetic remains on spider webs allow the detection of even the smallest target organisms. We also demonstrate that eDNA from spider webs is useful in research of community compositions across the different domains of life, with potentially highly detailed temporal and spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Denis Kutnjak
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Bačnik
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Gostinčar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva ulica 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Pecman
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Ravnikar
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Wine Research Centre, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5000, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington DC, 20560-0105, USA.,Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430062, China
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9
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Malek-Hosseini MJ, Jugovic J, Fatemi Y, Kuntner M, Kostanjšek R, Douady CJ, Malard F. A new obligate groundwater species of Asellus (Isopoda, Asellidae) from Iran. SB 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.42.79447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With only 43 described stygobionts and only two isopod species the obligate groundwater fauna of Iran, a vast country with over 10% of limestone surface, is inadequately known. Here, we report the discovery of Asellus ismailsezarii sp. nov. from Zagros mountains, the first eyeless and depigmented asellid isopod from Iran. The new species is morphologically similar to Asellus monticola Birstein, 1932, but it is eyeless and fully depigmented, has a slightly curved pereopod IV and does not bear any setae on proximal margins of exopodite of pleopods IV and V. Species phylogenetic relationships using original and datamined mitochondrial DNA and nuclear rDNA, and estimation of molecular divergences with other Asellus species, suggest that A. ismailsezarii sp. nov. is sister to a larger clade that also contains the European A. aquaticus species complex. Surface populations of Asellus have colonized groundwater at multiple occasions and localities, both in Europe and Asia, giving rise to species and subspecies that have evolved troglomorphisms, such as depigmentation and loss of eyes. Of the 37 formally described species and subspecies of Asellus, 15 are from groundwater, including A. ismailsezarii sp. nov. We predict that many more obligate groundwater Asellus taxa are yet to be discovered in Asia.
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10
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Yu KP, Kuntner M, Cheng RC. Phylogenetic evidence for an independent origin of extreme sexual size dimorphism in a genus of araneid spiders (Araneae: Araneidae). INVERTEBR SYST 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/is21019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cyphalonotus is a poorly studied Old World araneid spider genus of which the phylogenetic proximity remains unknown due to the paucity of morphological and molecular data. We test the phylogenetic placement and the taxonomic composition of Cyphalonotus and place the male and female size variation of Cyphalonotus and related genera in an evolutionary context. Our collection and field observations from Taiwan and China facilitate description of a new and a known species, and original sequence data enable species delimitation and phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic results reject all four classification hypotheses from the literature and instead recover a well-supported clade comprising Cyphalonotus + Poltys. We review the male and female size variation in Cyphalonotus, Poltys and related genera. These data reveal that all known species of Poltys are extremely sexually size dimorphic (eSSD = females over twice the size of males) reaching values exceeding 10-fold differences, whereas Cyphalonotus and other genera in phylogenetic proximity are relatively sexually monomorphic (SSD < 2.0). This confirms an independent origin of eSSD in Poltys, one of multiple convergent evolutionary outcomes in orbweb spiders.
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11
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Malek‐Hosseini MJ, Muilwijk J, Gregorič M, Kuntner M, Čandek K. First insights into the origin of Iranian cave beetle diversity with description of two new species of the genus
Duvalius
(Carabidae). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Malek‐Hosseini
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Jan Muilwijk
- Department of Entomology Naturalis Biodiversity Centre Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Klemen Čandek
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia
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12
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Šet J, Turk E, Golobinek R, Lokovšek T, Gregorič M, Lebrón SGQ, Kuntner M, Haddad CR, Čandek K, Kralj-Fišer S. Sex-specific developmental trajectories in an extremely sexually size dimorphic spider. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:54. [PMID: 34648079 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01754-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Adult body size, development time, and growth rates are components of organismal life histories, which crucially influence fitness and are subject to trade-offs. If selection is sex-specific, male and female developments can eventually lead to different optimal sizes. This can be achieved through developmental plasticity and sex-specific developmental trajectories. Spiders present suitable animals to study differences in developmental plasticity and life history trade-offs between the sexes, because of their pronounced sexual dimorphism. Here, we examine variation in life histories in the extremely sexually size dimorphic African hermit spider (Nephilingis cruentata) reared under standardized laboratory conditions. Females average 70 times greater body mass (and greater body size) at maturity than males, which they achieve by developing longer and growing faster. We find a small to moderate amount of variability in life history traits to be caused by family effects, comprising genetic, maternal, and early common environmental effects, suggesting considerable plasticity in life histories. Remarkably, family effects explain a higher variance in male compared to female life histories, implying that female developmental trajectories may be more responsive to environment. We also find sex differences in life history trade-offs and show that males with longer development times grow larger but exhibit shorter adult longevity. Female developmental time also correlates positively with adult body mass, but the trade-offs between female adult mass, reproduction, and longevity are less clear. We discuss the implications of these findings in the light of evolutionary trade-offs between life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janko Šet
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Turk
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Golobinek
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tjaša Lokovšek
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Charles R Haddad
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Klemen Čandek
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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13
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Htut KZ, Alicea-Serrano AM, Singla S, Agnarsson I, Garb JE, Kuntner M, Gregorič M, Haney RA, Marhabaie M, Blackledge TA, Dhinojwala A. Correlation between protein secondary structure and mechanical performance for the ultra-tough dragline silk of Darwin's bark spider. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210320. [PMID: 34129788 PMCID: PMC8205537 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The spider major ampullate (MA) silk exhibits high tensile strength and extensibility and is typically a blend of MaSp1 and MaSp2 proteins with the latter comprising glycine-proline-glycine-glycine-X repeating motifs that promote extensibility and supercontraction. The MA silk from Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is estimated to be two to three times tougher than the MA silk from other spider species. Previous research suggests that a unique MaSp4 protein incorporates proline into a novel glycine-proline-glycine-proline motif and may explain C. darwini MA silk's extraordinary toughness. However, no direct correlation has been made between the silk's molecular structure and its mechanical properties for C. darwini. Here, we correlate the relative protein secondary structure composition of MA silk from C. darwini and four other spider species with mechanical properties before and after supercontraction to understand the effect of the additional MaSp4 protein. Our results demonstrate that C. darwini MA silk possesses a unique protein composition with a lower ratio of helices (31%) and β-sheets (20%) than other species. Before supercontraction, toughness, modulus and tensile strength correlate with percentages of β-sheets, unordered or random coiled regions and β-turns. However, after supercontraction, only modulus and strain at break correlate with percentages of β-sheets and β-turns. Our study highlights that additional information including crystal size and crystal and chain orientation is necessary to build a complete structure-property correlation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Zin Htut
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Angela M. Alicea-Serrano
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Saranshu Singla
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert A. Haney
- Department of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA
| | - Mohammad Marhabaie
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
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14
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Kralj‐Fišer S, Schneider JM, Kuntner M, Laskowski K, Garcia‐Gonzalez F. The genetic architecture of behavioral traits in a spider. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5381-5392. [PMID: 34026014 PMCID: PMC8131798 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of consistent individual differences in behavior has been shown in a number of species, and several studies have found observable sex differences in these behaviors, yet their evolutionary implications remain unclear. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of behavioral traits requires knowledge of their genetic architectures and whether this architecture differs between the sexes. We conducted a quantitative genetic study in a sexually size-dimorphic spider, Larinioides sclopetarius, which exhibits sex differences in adult lifestyles. We observed pedigreed spiders for aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness and used animal models to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on these behaviors. We detected trends toward (i) higher additive genetic variances in aggression, activity, and exploration in males than females, and (ii) difference in variances due to common environment/maternal effects, permanent environment and residual variance in aggression and activity with the first two variances being higher in males for both behaviors. We found no sex differences in the amount of genetic and environmental variance in boldness. The mean heritability estimates of aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness range from 0.039 to 0.222 with no sizeable differences between females and males. We note that the credible intervals of the estimates are large, implying a high degree of uncertainty, which disallow a robust conclusion of sex differences in the quantitative genetic estimates. However, the observed estimates suggest that sex differences in the quantitative genetic architecture of the behaviors cannot be ruled out. Notably, the present study suggests that genetic underpinnings of behaviors may differ between sexes and it thus underscores the importance of taking sex differences into account in quantitative genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Kralj‐Fišer
- Scientific and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and ArtsInstitute of BiologyEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Jutta M. Schneider
- Institut für ZoologieFachbereich BiologieUniversität HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Scientific and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and ArtsInstitute of BiologyEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems ResearchEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryNational Institute of BiologyLjubljanaSlovenia
| | | | - Francisco Garcia‐Gonzalez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSICSevilleSpain
- Centre for Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaAustralia
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15
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Turk E, Kralj-Fišer S, Kuntner M. Exploring diversification drivers in golden orbweavers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9248. [PMID: 33927261 PMCID: PMC8084975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88555-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in species diversity is driven by the dynamics of speciation and extinction, potentially influenced by organismal and environmental factors. Here, we explore macroevolutionary trends on a phylogeny of golden orbweavers (spider family Nephilidae). Our initial inference detects heterogeneity in speciation and extinction, with accelerated extinction rates in the extremely sexually size dimorphic Nephila and accelerated speciation in Herennia, a lineage defined by highly derived, arboricolous webs, and pronounced island endemism. We evaluate potential drivers of this heterogeneity that relate to organisms and their environment. Primarily, we test two continuous organismal factors for correlation with diversification in nephilids: phenotypic extremeness (female and male body length, and sexual size dimorphism as their ratio) and dispersal propensity (through range sizes as a proxy). We predict a bell-shaped relationship between factor values and speciation, with intermediate phenotypes exhibiting highest diversification rates. Analyses using SSE-class models fail to support our two predictions, suggesting that phenotypic extremeness and dispersal propensity cannot explain patterns of nephilid diversification. Furthermore, two environmental factors (tropical versus subtropical and island versus continental species distribution) indicate only marginal support for higher speciation in the tropics. Although our results may be affected by methodological limitations imposed by a relatively small phylogeny, it seems that the tested organismal and environmental factors play little to no role in nephilid diversification. In the phylogeny of golden orbweavers, the recent hypothesis of universal diversification dynamics may be the simplest explanation of macroevolutionary patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Turk
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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16
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Quiñones-Lebrón SG, Kuntner M, Kralj-Fišer S. The effect of genetics, diet, and social environment on adult male size in a sexually dimorphic spider. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10097-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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17
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Luo Y, Goh SP, Li D, Gonzaga MO, Santos AJ, Tanikawa A, Yoshida H, Haddad CR, May-Collado LJ, Gregorič M, Turk E, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I. Global Diversification of Anelosimus Spiders Driven by Long-Distance Overwater Dispersal and Neogene Climate Oscillations. Syst Biol 2021; 69:1122-1136. [PMID: 32170955 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vicariance and dispersal events, combined with intricate global climatic history, have left an imprint on the spatiotemporal distribution and diversity of many organisms. Anelosimus cobweb spiders (Theridiidae), are organisms ranging in behavior from solitary to highly social, with a cosmopolitan distribution in temperate to tropical areas. Their evolutionary history and the discontinuous distribution of species richness suggest that 1) long-distance overwater dispersal and 2) climate change during the Neogene (23-2.6 Ma), may be major factors in explaining their distribution and diversification. Here, we test these hypotheses, and explicitly test if global Miocene/Pliocene climatic cooling in the last 8 Ma affected Anelosimus radiation in parallel in South America and Madagascar. To do so, we investigate the phylogeny and spatiotemporal biogeography of Anelosimus through a culmination of a 20-year comprehensive global sampling at the species level (69 species, including 84% of the known 75 species worldwide, represented by 268 individuals) using nucleotide data from seven loci (5.5 kb). Our results strongly support the monophyly of Anelosimus with an Oligocene ($\sim $30 Ma) South American origin. Major clades on other continents originate via multiple, long-distance dispersal events, of solitary or subsocial-but not social-lineages, from the Americas. These intercontinental dispersals were to Africa, Madagascar (twice), and SE Asia/Australasia. The early diversification of Anelosimus spiders coincides with a sudden thermal increase in the late Oligocene ($\sim $27-25 Ma), though no causal connection can be made. Our results, however, strongly support the hypothesis that global Neogene climatic cooling in the last 8 Ma drove Anelosimus radiation in parallel in South America and Madagascar, offering a rare empirical evidence for diversification of a socially diverse group driven by an interplay between long-distance dispersal and global Neogene climatic changes. [Cobweb spiders; diversification; global biogeography; long-distance dispersal; molecular phylogenetics; neogene climate changes; sociality; vicariance.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufa Luo
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0086, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Seok P Goh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Marcelo O Gonzaga
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Adalberto J Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Akio Tanikawa
- Laboratory of Biodiversity Science, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | | | - Charles R Haddad
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, Republic of South Africa
| | - Laura J May-Collado
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0086, USA
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Eva Turk
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.,Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0086, USA.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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18
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Xu X, Su YC, Ho SYW, Kuntner M, Ono H, Liu F, Chang CC, Warrit N, Sivayyapram V, Aung KPP, Pham DS, Norma-Rashid Y, Li D. Phylogenomic Analysis of Ultraconserved Elements Resolves the Evolutionary and Biogeographic History of Segmented Trapdoor Spiders. Syst Biol 2020; 70:1110-1122. [PMID: 33367903 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The segmented trapdoor spiders (Liphistiidae) are the sole surviving family of the suborder Mesothelae, which forms the sister lineage to all other living spiders. Liphistiids have retained a number of plesiomorphic traits and their present-day distribution is limited to East and Southeast Asia. Studying this group has the potential to shed light on the deep evolutionary history of spiders, but the phylogeny and divergence times of the family have not been resolved with confidence. We performed phylogenomic and molecular dating analyses of 2,765 ultraconserved element loci from 185 liphistiid taxa. Our analyses show that the crown group of Liphistiidae appeared in the mid-Cretaceous at 102 Ma (95% credibility interval 92-113 Ma), but it was not until the Neogene that much of the diversification within the family occurred in mainland Southeast and East Asia. This diversification was coincident with tectonic events such as the extension of the East Asian continental margin, as well as geological upheavals in Indochina induced by the collision between India and Asia. Our study highlights the important role of major tectonic events in shaping the evolutionary history, present-day diversity, and geographical distribution of mesothele and liphistiid spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yong-Chao Su
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.,Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Hirotsugu Ono
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chia-Chen Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore
| | - Natapot Warrit
- Center of Excellence in Entomology and Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Varat Sivayyapram
- Center of Excellence in Entomology and Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Khin Pyae Pyae Aung
- Department of Zoology, University of Yangon, Kamayut Township, Pyay Road, Yangon, Myanmar.,Department of Biology, Taungoo Education College, Taungoo, Myanmar
| | - Dinh Sac Pham
- Department of Experimental Taxonomy and Genetic Diversity, Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Y Norma-Rashid
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore
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19
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Abstract
Abstract
Few spider species show truly cosmopolitan distributions. Among them is the banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata, which is reported from six continents across major climatic gradients and geographical boundaries. In orb-weaver spiders, such global distributions might be a result of lively dispersal via ballooning. However, wide distributions might also be artefactual, owing to our limited understanding of species taxonomy. To test the hypothesis that A. trifasciata might be a complex of cryptic species with more limited geographical ranges, we investigated the biogeographical structure and evolutionary history of A. trifasciata through a combination of time-calibrated phylogenetic analyses (57 terminals and three genes), ancestral range reconstruction and species delimitation methods. Our results strongly suggest that A. trifasciata as currently defined is not a single species. Its populations fall into five reciprocally monophyletic clades that are genetically distinct and have evolutionary origins in the Plio-Pleistocene. These clades are confined to East Asia, temperate Australia, Hawaii, the New World and the Old World (Africa and most of the Palaearctic). Our results provide the basis for future investigation of morphological and/or ecological disparity between the populations that are likely to represent species, in addition to examinations of the attributes and dispersal modes of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Abel
- Zoological Museum, Center of Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Danilo Harms
- Zoological Museum, Center of Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
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20
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Xu X, Kuntner M, Bond JE, Ono H, Ho SYW, Liu F, Yu L, Li D. Molecular species delimitation in the primitively segmented spider genus Heptathela endemic to Japanese islands. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 151:106900. [PMID: 32599078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Determining species boundaries forms an important foundation for biological research. However, the results of molecular species delimitation can vary with the data sets and methods that are used. Here we use a two-step approach to delimit species in the genus Heptathela, a group of primitively segmented trapdoor spiders that are endemic to Japanese islands. Morphological evidence suggests the existence of 19 species in the genus. We tested this initial species hypothesis by using six molecular species-delimitation methods to analyse 180 mitochondrial COI sequences of Heptathela sampled from across the known range of the genus. We then conducted a set of more focused analyses by sampling additional genetic markers from the subset of taxa that were inconsistently delimited by the single-locus analyses of mitochondrial DNA. Multilocus species delimitation was performed using two Bayesian approaches based on the multispecies coalescent. Our approach identified 20 putative species among the 180 sampled individuals of Heptathela. We suggest that our two-step approach provides an efficient strategy for delimiting species while minimizing costs and computational time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China; State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Jason E Bond
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Hirotsugu Ono
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305-0005, Japan
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Klemen Čandek
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory Institute of Biology Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
- Department of Entomology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C. USA
| | | | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory Institute of Biology Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Entomology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C. USA
- School of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan Hubei China
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22
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Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism is one of the most striking animal traits, and among terrestrial animals, it is most extreme in certain spider lineages. The most extreme sexual size dimorphism (eSSD) is female biased. eSSD itself is probably an epiphenomenon of gendered evolutionary drivers whose strengths and directions are diverse. We demonstrate that eSSD spider clades are aberrant by sampling randomly across all spiders to establish overall averages for female (6.9 mm) and male (5.6 mm) size. At least 16 spider eSSD clades exist. We explore why the literature does not converge on an overall explanation for eSSD and propose an equilibrium model featuring clade- and context-specific drivers of gender size variation. eSSD affects other traits such as sexual cannibalism, genital damage, emasculation, and monogyny with terminal investment. Coevolution with these extreme sexual phenotypes is termed eSSD mating syndrome. Finally, as costs of female gigantism increase with size, eSSD may represent an evolutionary dead end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA;
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jonathan A Coddington
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA;
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23
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Xu X, Ono H, Kuntner M, Liu F, Li D. A taxonomic monograph of the liphistiid spider genus Heptathela, endemic to Japanese islands. Zookeys 2019; 888:1-50. [PMID: 31754317 PMCID: PMC6861337 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.888.34494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the eight extant genera of primitively segmented spiders, family Liphistiidae, two are confined to East Asian islands, Heptathela Kishida, 1923 and Ryuthela Haupt, 1983. In this paper, a taxonomic revision of the genus Heptathela (Heptathelinae) from Kyushu and Ryukyu archipelago, Japan is provided. This study follows a multi-tier species delimitation strategy within an integrative taxonomic framework that is presented in a parallel paper, in which diagnosable lineages are considered as valid species. There, the initial hypothesis of species diversity (19) based on classical morphological diagnoses is tested with multiple species delimitation methods aimed at resolving conflict in data. This revision follows those analyses that converge on the species diversity of 20, which includes a pair of cryptic species that would have been undetected with morphology alone. After this revision, eight previously described species remain valid, two junior synonyms are proposed, and 12 new Heptathela species are described based on diagnostic evidence. To ease identification and to hint at putative evolutionary units, Heptathela is divided into three groups. The Kyushu group contains H.higoensis Haupt, 1983, H.kikuyai Ono, 1998, H.kimurai (Kishida, 1920), and H.yakushimaensis Ono, 1998; the Amami group contains H.amamiensis Haupt, 1983, H.kanenoi Ono, 1996, H.kojimasp. nov., H.sumiyosp. nov., and H.ukensp. nov.; and the Okinawa group contains H.yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983, H.ahasp. nov., H.gayozansp. nov., H.kubayamasp. nov., H.maesp. nov., H.otohasp. nov., H.shurisp. nov., H.tokashikisp. nov., H.untensp. nov., and H.cryptasp. nov.Heptathelahelios Tanikawa & Miyashita, 2014 is not assigned to a species group. A combination of diagnostic tools augments the morphological diagnoses that, in isolation, would be prone to error in morphologically challenging groups of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, 36 Lushan Road, Changsha 410081, Hunan Province, China Hubei University Wuhan China.,State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan 430062, Hubei Province, China Hunan Normal University Changsha China
| | - Hirotsugu Ono
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-0005, Japan National Museum of Nature and Science Tsukuba Japan
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan 430062, Hubei Province, China Hunan Normal University Changsha China.,Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia National Institute of Biology Ljubljana Slovenia.,Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU Ljubljana Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Washington United States of America
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan 430062, Hubei Province, China Hunan Normal University Changsha China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
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Garb JE, Haney RA, Schwager EE, Gregorič M, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I, Blackledge TA. The transcriptome of Darwin's bark spider silk glands predicts proteins contributing to dragline silk toughness. Commun Biol 2019; 2:275. [PMID: 31372514 PMCID: PMC6658490 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) produces giant orb webs from dragline silk that can be twice as tough as other silks, making it the toughest biological material. This extreme toughness comes from increased extensibility relative to other draglines. We show C. darwini dragline-producing major ampullate (MA) glands highly express a novel silk gene transcript (MaSp4) encoding a protein that diverges markedly from closely related proteins and contains abundant proline, known to confer silk extensibility, in a unique GPGPQ amino acid motif. This suggests C. darwini evolved distinct proteins that may have increased its dragline's toughness, enabling giant webs. Caerostris darwini's MA spinning ducts also appear unusually long, potentially facilitating alignment of silk proteins into extremely tough fibers. Thus, a suite of novel traits from the level of genes to spinning physiology to silk biomechanics are associated with the unique ecology of Darwin's bark spider, presenting innovative designs for engineering biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Robert A. Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Integrated Bioscience Program, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 USA
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Zhan Y, Jiang H, Wu Q, Zhang H, Bai Z, Kuntner M, Tu L. Comparative morphology refines the conventional model of spider reproduction. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218486. [PMID: 31276510 PMCID: PMC6611574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of spider reproductive biology is hampered by the vast anatomical diversity and difficulties associated with its study. Although authors agree on the two general types of female spider genitalia, haplogyne (plesiomorphic) and entelegyne (apomorphic), our understanding of variation within each group mostly concerns the external genital part, while the internal connections with the reproductive duct are largely unknown. Conventionally and simplistically, the spermathecae of haplogynes have simple two-way ducts, and those of entelegynes have separate copulatory and fertilization ducts for sperm to be transferred in and out of spermathecae, respectively. Sperm is discharged from the spermathecae directly into the uterus externus (a distal extension of the oviduct), which, commonly thought as homologous in both groups, is the purported location of internal fertilization in spiders. However, the structural evolution from haplo- to entelegyny remains unresolved, and thus the precise fertilization site in entelegynes is ambiguous. We aim to clarify this anatomical problem through a widely comparative morphological study of internal female genital system in entelegynes. Our survey of 147 epigyna (121 examined species in 97 genera, 34 families) surprisingly finds no direct connection between the fertilization ducts and the uterus externus, which, based on the homology with basal-most spider lineages, is a dead-end caecum in entelegynes. Instead, fertilization ducts usually connect with a secondary uterus externus, a novel feature taking over the functional role of the plesiomorphic uterus externus. We hypothesize that the transition from haplo- to entelegyny entailed not only the emergence of the two separate duct systems (copulatory, fertilization), but also involved substantial morphological changes in the distal part of the oviduct. Thus, the common oviduct may have shifted its distal connection from the uterus externus to the secondary uterus externus, perhaps facilitating discharge of larger eggs. Our findings suggest that the conventional model of entelegyne reproduction needs redefinition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjia Zhan
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - He Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Lang Yue Campus of Beijing 12th High School, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Huitao Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zishang Bai
- College of Life Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lihong Tu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
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Kuntner M, Hamilton CA, Cheng RC, Gregorič M, Lupše N, Lokovšek T, Lemmon EM, Lemmon AR, Agnarsson I, Coddington JA, Bond JE. Golden Orbweavers Ignore Biological Rules: Phylogenomic and Comparative Analyses Unravel a Complex Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism. Syst Biol 2019; 68:555-572. [PMID: 30517732 PMCID: PMC6568015 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syy082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Instances of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) provide the context for rigorous tests of biological rules of size evolution, such as Cope's rule (phyletic size increase), Rensch's rule (allometric patterns of male and female size), as well as male and female body size optima. In certain spider groups, such as the golden orbweavers (Nephilidae), extreme female-biased SSD (eSSD, female:male body length $\ge$2) is the norm. Nephilid genera construct webs of exaggerated proportions, which can be aerial, arboricolous, or intermediate (hybrid). First, we established the backbone phylogeny of Nephilidae using 367 anchored hybrid enrichment markers, then combined these data with classical markers for a reference species-level phylogeny. Second, we used the phylogeny to test Cope and Rensch's rules, sex specific size optima, and the coevolution of web size, type, and features with female and male body size and their ratio, SSD. Male, but not female, size increases significantly over time, and refutes Cope's rule. Allometric analyses reject the converse, Rensch's rule. Male and female body sizes are uncorrelated. Female size evolution is random, but males evolve toward an optimum size (3.2-4.9 mm). Overall, female body size correlates positively with absolute web size. However, intermediate sized females build the largest webs (of the hybrid type), giant female Nephila and Trichonephila build smaller webs (of the aerial type), and the smallest females build the smallest webs (of the arboricolous type). We propose taxonomic changes based on the criteria of clade age, monophyly and exclusivity, classification information content, and diagnosability. Spider families, as currently defined, tend to be between 37 million years old and 98 million years old, and Nephilidae is estimated at 133 Ma (97-146), thus deserving family status. We, therefore, resurrect the family Nephilidae Simon 1894 that contains Clitaetra Simon 1889, the Cretaceous GeratonephilaPoinar and Buckley (2012), Herennia Thorell 1877, IndoetraKuntner 2006, new rank, Nephila Leach 1815, Nephilengys L. Koch 1872, Nephilingis Kuntner 2013, Palaeonephila Wunderlich 2004 from Tertiary Baltic amber, and TrichonephilaDahl 1911, new rank. We propose the new clade Orbipurae to contain Araneidae Clerck 1757, Phonognathidae Simon 1894, new rank, and Nephilidae. Nephilid female gigantism is a phylogenetically ancient phenotype (over 100 Ma), as is eSSD, though their magnitudes vary by lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Chris A Hamilton
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, & Nematology, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 2329, Moscow, ID 83844-2329, USA
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, No.145 Xingda Rd., South Dist., Taichung City 402, Taiwan
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nik Lupše
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Division of Animal Evolutionary Biology, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tjaša Lokovšek
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Emily Moriarty Lemmon
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, 400 Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4120, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, 316 Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405-0086, USA
| | - Jonathan A Coddington
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0105, USA
| | - Jason E Bond
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Abstract
Island systems provide excellent arenas to test evolutionary hypotheses pertaining to gene flow and diversification of dispersal-limited organisms. Here we focus on an orbweaver spider genus Cyrtognatha (Tetragnathidae) from the Caribbean, with the aims to reconstruct its evolutionary history, examine its biogeographic history in the archipelago, and to estimate the timing and route of Caribbean colonization. Specifically, we test if Cyrtognatha biogeographic history is consistent with an ancient vicariant scenario (the GAARlandia landbridge hypothesis) or overwater dispersal. We reconstructed a species level phylogeny based on one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (28S) marker. We then used this topology to constrain a time-calibrated mtDNA phylogeny, for subsequent biogeographical analyses in BioGeoBEARS of over 100 originally sampled Cyrtognatha individuals, using models with and without a founder event parameter. Our results suggest a radiation of Caribbean Cyrtognatha, containing 11 to 14 species that are exclusively single island endemics. Although biogeographic reconstructions cannot refute a vicariant origin of the Caribbean clade, possibly an artifact of sparse outgroup availability, they indicate timing of colonization that is much too recent for GAARlandia to have played a role. Instead, an overwater colonization to the Caribbean in mid-Miocene better explains the data. From Hispaniola, Cyrtognatha subsequently dispersed to, and diversified on, the other islands of the Greater, and Lesser Antilles. Within the constraints of our island system and data, a model that omits the founder event parameter from biogeographic analysis is less suitable than the equivalent model with a founder event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klemen Čandek
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of the Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
| | - Greta J Binford
- Department of Biology, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of the Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Tong Y, Binford G, Rheims CA, Kuntner M, Liu J, Agnarsson I. Huntsmen of the Caribbean: Multiple tests of the GAARlandia hypothesis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 130:259-268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Khalaji-Pirbalouty V, Fatemi Y, Malek-Hosseini MJ, Kuntner M. A new species of Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897 from Iran, with a key to the western Asian species (Crustacea, Isopoda, Stenasellidae). Zookeys 2018; 766:39-50. [PMID: 29930477 PMCID: PMC6010508 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.766.23239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A new stenasellid isopod is described from Tashan Cave, Khuzestan Province, south-west Iran, belonging to the genus Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897. The first recorded species of Stenasellidae from Iran, Stenasellus tashanicussp. n., is diagnosed by the presence of antennae with a minute squama bearing paired, long, robust setae; a maxilliped endite with six coupling hooks; and slender appendix masculina with an acute apex. A revised generic diagnosis is provided with a key to the six known western Asian Stenasellus species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yaser Fatemi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Malek-Hosseini
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Turk E, Kuntner M, Kralj-Fišer S. Cross-sex genetic correlation does not extend to sexual size dimorphism in spiders. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 105:1. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1529-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Xu X, Liu F, Kuntner M, Li D. Four new species of the primitively segmented spider genus Qiongthela from Hainan island, China (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae). Zookeys 2017:1-11. [PMID: 29290698 PMCID: PMC5740404 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.714.19858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Four species of the primitively segmented spider genus Qiongthela Xu & Kuntner, 2015 collected from Hainan Island, China are diagnosed and described as new to science based on their genital morphology: Q. bawangsp. n. (♀), Q. jianfengsp. n. (♂♀), Q. yinisp. n. (♀), Q. wuzhisp. n. (♂♀). Together with the type species of Qiongthela, Q. baishensis Xu, 2015, five species are found and described from Hainan, China, and seven species are now known in the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C, USA
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
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Xu X, Liu F, Ono H, Chen J, Kuntner M, Li D. Targeted sampling in Ryukyus facilitates species delimitation of the primitively segmented spider genus Ryuthela (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Kralj-Fišer S, Hebets EA, Kuntner M. Different patterns of behavioral variation across and within species of spiders with differing degrees of urbanization. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2353-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Cao X, Liu J, Chen J, Zheng G, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I. Rapid dissemination of taxonomic discoveries based on DNA barcoding and morphology. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37066. [PMID: 27991489 PMCID: PMC5171852 DOI: 10.1038/srep37066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The taxonomic impediment is characterized by dwindling classical taxonomic expertise, and slow pace of revisionary work, thus more rapid taxonomic assessments are needed. Here we pair rapid DNA barcoding methods with swift assessment of morphology in an effort to gauge diversity, establish species limits, and rapidly disseminate taxonomic information prior to completion of formal taxonomic revisions. We focus on a poorly studied, but diverse spider genus, Pseudopoda, from East Asia. We augmented the standard barcoding locus (COI) with nuclear DNA sequence data (ITS2) and analyzed congruence among datasets and species delimitation methods for a total of 572 individuals representing 23 described species and many potentially new species. Our results suggest that a combination of CO1 + ITS2 fragments identify and diagnose species better than the mitochondrial barcodes alone, and that certain tree based methods yield considerably higher diversity estimates than the distance-based approaches and morphology. Combined, through an extensive field survey, we detect a twofold increase in species diversity in the surveyed area, at 42–45, with most species representing short range endemics. Our study demonstrates the power of biodiversity assessments and swift dissemination of taxonomic data through rapid inventory, and through a combination of morphological and multi-locus DNA barcoding diagnoses of diverse arthropod lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Cao
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Guo Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China.,Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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35
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Kuntner M, Cheng RC, Kralj-Fišer S, Liao CP, Schneider JM, Elgar MA. The evolution of genital complexity and mating rates in sexually size dimorphic spiders. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:242. [PMID: 27829358 PMCID: PMC5103378 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0821-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genital diversity may arise through sexual conflict over polyandry, where male genital features function to manipulate female mating frequency against her interest. Correlated genital evolution across animal groups is consistent with this view, but a link between genital complexity and mating rates remains to be established. In sexually size dimorphic spiders, golden orbweaving spiders (Nephilidae) males mutilate their genitals to form genital plugs, but these plugs do not always prevent female polyandry. In a comparative framework, we test whether male and female genital complexity coevolve, and how these morphologies, as well as sexual cannibalism, relate to the evolution of mating systems. Results Using a combination of comparative tests, we show that male genital complexity negatively correlates with female mating rates, and that levels of sexual cannibalism negatively correlate with male mating rates. We also confirm a positive correlation between male and female genital complexity. The macroevolutionary trajectory is consistent with a repeated evolution from polyandry to monandry coinciding with the evolution towards more complex male genitals. Conclusions These results are consistent with the predictions from sexual conflict theory, although sexual conflict may not be the only mechanism responsible for the evolution of genital complexity and mating systems. Nevertheless, our comparative evidence suggests that in golden orbweavers, male genital complexity limits female mating rates, and sexual cannibalism by females coincides with monogyny. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0821-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia. .,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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Agnarsson I, LeQuier SM, Kuntner M, Cheng RC, Coddington JA, Binford G. Phylogeography of a good Caribbean disperser: Argiope argentata (Araneae, Araneidae) and a new 'cryptic' species from Cuba. Zookeys 2016:25-44. [PMID: 27833425 PMCID: PMC5096361 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.625.8729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caribbean islands harbor rich biodiversity with high levels of single island endemism. Stretches of ocean between islands represent significant barriers to gene-flow. Yet some native species are widespread, indicating dispersal across oceans, even in wingless organisms like spiders. Argiopeargentata (Fabricius, 1775) is a large, charismatic, and widespread species of orb-weaving spider ranging from the United States to Argentina and is well known to balloon. Here we explore the phylogeography of Argiopeargentata in the Caribbean as a part of the multi-lineage CarBio project, through mtDNA haplotype and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses. The history of the Argiopeargentata lineage in the Caribbean goes back 3-5 million years and is characterized by multiple dispersal events and isolation-by-distance. We find a highly genetically distinct lineage on Cuba which we describe as Argiopebutchkosp. n. While the argentata lineage seems to readily balloon shorter distances, stretches of ocean still act as filters for among-island gene-flow as evidenced by distinct haplotypes on the more isolated islands, high FST values, and strong correlation between intraspecific (but not interspecific) genetic and geographic distances. The new species described here is clearly genetically diagnosable, but morphologically cryptic, at least with reference to the genitalia that typically diagnose spider species. Our results are consistent with the intermediate dispersal model suggesting that good dispersers, such as our study species, limit the effect of oceanic barriers and thus diversification and endemism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA; Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jonathan A Coddington
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Greta Binford
- Department of Biology, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
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Krehenwinkel H, Rödder D, Năpăruş-Aljančič M, Kuntner M. Rapid genetic and ecological differentiation during the northern range expansion of the venomous yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium punctorium in Europe. Evol Appl 2016; 9:1229-1240. [PMID: 27877202 PMCID: PMC5108215 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although poleward range expansions are commonly attributed to global change, a complex interaction of ecological and evolutionary factors might contribute to expansion success. Here, we study the expansion of the yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium punctorium, a medically important species in Central Europe. Using microsatellite markers and DNA sequences, morphological and climate niche analyses, we identify factors associated with the spider's expansion success. Our results indicate that the species' initial expansion has been triggered by environmental change and preadaptation in the source populations. However, despite extensive gene flow, expanding populations maintain genetic and morphological differentiation from native ones, which is correlated with climatic niche differences. Moreover, expanding spiders might have temporarily escaped an eggsac parasite that causes high mortality in the native range. Hence, our results paint a complex picture of diverse factors associated with expansion success. We speculate that expanding populations might be capable of adapting to novel ecological conditions in northern Europe. This could allow a substantial range expansion, much farther than by environmental change alone. Our distribution model predicts that the spider will soon massively spread over most of northern Europe, bringing along considerable health concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Krehenwinkel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön Germany; Environmental Science Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Dennis Rödder
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Magdalena Năpăruş-Aljančič
- Transdisciplinary Research Centre Landscape - Territory - Information Systems CeLTIS University of Bucharest Research InstituteI CUB Bucharest Romania; Tular Cave Laboratory Kranj Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory Biological Institute ZRC SAZU Ljubljana Slovenia
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Lupše N, Cheng RC, Kuntner M. Coevolution of female and male genital components to avoid genital size mismatches in sexually dimorphic spiders. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:161. [PMID: 27535025 PMCID: PMC4989301 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0734-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In most animal groups, it is unclear how body size variation relates to genital size differences between the sexes. While most morphological features tend to scale with total somatic size, this does not necessarily hold for genitalia because divergent evolution in somatic size between the sexes would cause genital size mismatches. Theory predicts that the interplay of female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and sexual genital size dimorphism (SGD) should adhere to the 'positive genital divergence', the 'constant genital divergence', or the 'negative genital divergence' model, but these models remain largely untested. We test their validity in the spider family Nephilidae known for the highest degrees of SSD among terrestrial animals. RESULTS Through comparative analyses of sex-specific somatic and genital sizes, we first demonstrate that 99 of the 351 pairs of traits are phylogenetically correlated. Through factor analyses we then group these traits for MCMCglmm analyses that test broader correlation patterns, and these reveal significant correlations in 10 out of the 36 pairwise comparisons. Both types of analyses agree that female somatic and internal genital sizes evolve independently. While sizes of non-intromittent male genital parts coevolve with male body size, the size of the intromittent male genital parts is independent of the male somatic size. Instead, male intromittent genital size coevolves with female (external and, in part, internal) genital size. All analyses also agree that SGD and SSD evolve independently. CONCLUSIONS Internal dimensions of female genitalia evolve independently of female body size in nephilid spiders, and similarly, male intromittent genital size evolves independently of the male body size. The size of the male intromittent organ (the embolus) and the sizes of female internal and external genital components thus seem to respond to selection against genital size mismatches. In accord with these interpretations, we reject the validity of the existing theoretical models of genital and somatic size dimorphism in spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nik Lupše
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia. .,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA.
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Coddington JA, Agnarsson I, Cheng RC, Čandek K, Driskell A, Frick H, Gregorič M, Kostanjšek R, Kropf C, Kweskin M, Lokovšek T, Pipan M, Vidergar N, Kuntner M. DNA barcode data accurately assign higher spider taxa. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2201. [PMID: 27547527 PMCID: PMC4958005 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of unique DNA sequences as a method for taxonomic identification is no longer fundamentally controversial, even though debate continues on the best markers, methods, and technology to use. Although both existing databanks such as GenBank and BOLD, as well as reference taxonomies, are imperfect, in best case scenarios "barcodes" (whether single or multiple, organelle or nuclear, loci) clearly are an increasingly fast and inexpensive method of identification, especially as compared to manual identification of unknowns by increasingly rare expert taxonomists. Because most species on Earth are undescribed, a complete reference database at the species level is impractical in the near term. The question therefore arises whether unidentified species can, using DNA barcodes, be accurately assigned to more inclusive groups such as genera and families-taxonomic ranks of putatively monophyletic groups for which the global inventory is more complete and stable. We used a carefully chosen test library of CO1 sequences from 49 families, 313 genera, and 816 species of spiders to assess the accuracy of genus and family-level assignment. We used BLAST queries of each sequence against the entire library and got the top ten hits. The percent sequence identity was reported from these hits (PIdent, range 75-100%). Accurate assignment of higher taxa (PIdent above which errors totaled less than 5%) occurred for genera at PIdent values >95 and families at PIdent values ≥ 91, suggesting these as heuristic thresholds for accurate generic and familial identifications in spiders. Accuracy of identification increases with numbers of species/genus and genera/family in the library; above five genera per family and fifteen species per genus all higher taxon assignments were correct. We propose that using percent sequence identity between conventional barcode sequences may be a feasible and reasonably accurate method to identify animals to family/genus. However, the quality of the underlying database impacts accuracy of results; many outliers in our dataset could be attributed to taxonomic and/or sequencing errors in BOLD and GenBank. It seems that an accurate and complete reference library of families and genera of life could provide accurate higher level taxonomic identifications cheaply and accessibly, within years rather than decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A. Coddington
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Klemen Čandek
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Amy Driskell
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Holger Frick
- Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Christian Kropf
- Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Kweskin
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Tjaša Lokovšek
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miha Pipan
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nina Vidergar
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
- EZ Lab, Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Abstract
Several clades of spiders whose females evolved giant sizes are known for extreme sexual behaviors such as sexual cannibalism, opportunistic mating, mate-binding, genital mutilation, plugging, and emasculation. However, these behaviors have only been tested in a handful of size dimorphic spiders. Here, we bring another lineage into the picture by reporting on sexual behavior of Darwin's bark spider, Caerostris darwini. This sexually size dimorphic Madagascan species is known for extreme web gigantism and for producing the world's toughest biomaterial. Our field and laboratory study uncovers a rich sexual repertoire that predictably involves cannibalism, genital mutilation, male preference for teneral females, and emasculation. Surprisingly, C. darwini males engage in oral sexual encounters, rarely reported outside mammals. Irrespective of female's age or mating status males salivate onto female genitalia pre-, during, and post-copulation. While its adaptive significance is elusive, oral sexual contact in spiders may signal male quality or reduce sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Gregorič
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
| | - Klavdija Šuen
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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Kralj-Fišer S, Čandek K, Lokovšek T, Čelik T, Cheng RC, Elgar MA, Kuntner M. Mate choice and sexual size dimorphism, not personality, explain female aggression and sexual cannibalism in raft spiders. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Xu X, Liu F, Chen J, Li D, Kuntner M. Integrative taxonomy of the primitively segmented spider genusGanthela(Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae): DNA barcoding gap agrees with morphology. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan China
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan China
| | - Jian Chen
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan China
- Department of Biological Sciences; National University of Singapore; 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan China
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory; Biological Institute ZRC SAZU; Novi trg 2 P. O. Box 306 SI-1001 Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Entomology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
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Agnarsson I, Jencik BB, Veve GM, Hanitriniaina S, Agostini D, Goh SP, Pruitt J, Kuntner M. Systematics of the Madagascar Anelosimus spiders: remarkable local richness and endemism, and dual colonization from the Americas. Zookeys 2015; 509:13-52. [PMID: 26175602 PMCID: PMC4493342 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.509.8897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the alarming rates of deforestation and forest fragmentation, Madagascar still harbors extraordinary biodiversity. However, in many arthropod groups, such as spiders, this biodiversity remains mostly unexplored and undescribed. The first subsocial Madagascan species of the theridiid spider genus Anelosimus were described in 2005 when six new species were found to coexist in the Périnet forest fragment within Andasibe-Mantadia NP. However, this discovery was based only on a few specimens and the extent of this Madagascan radiation has remained unknown. We here report on a thorough survey of >350 colonies from Périnet, and three pilot surveys into additional Madagascar forests (Ambohitantely, Ranamofana, and Montagne d'Ambre). The morphological, molecular and natural history data from these surveys facilitated a revised taxonomy and phylogenetic hypothesis of Madagascan Anelosimus. This subsocial clade currently comprises six previously known (Anelosimusandasibe Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2005, Anelosimusmay Agnarsson, 2005, Anelosimusnazariani Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2005, Anelosimussallee Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2005, Anelosimussalut Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2005, Anelosimusvondrona Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2005) and 10 new species: Anelosimusata sp. n., Anelosimusbuffoni sp. n., Anelosimusdarwini sp. n., Anelosimushookeri sp. n., Anelosimushuxleyi sp. n., Anelosimuslamarcki sp. n., Anelosimusmoramora sp. n., Anelosimustita sp. n., Anelosimustorfi sp. n., Anelosimuswallacei sp. n.. With the exception of Anelosimusmay and Anelosimusvondrona, all other species appear to be single forest endemics. While additional sampling is necessary, these data imply a much higher local richness and endemism in Madagascan forests than in any other comparable area globally. The phylogenetic results establish a sister clade relationship between the subsocial Anelosimus in Madagascar and the American 'eximius group', and between the solitary Anelosimusdecaryi on Madagascar and a solitary American clade. These findings imply duplicate colonizations from America, an otherwise rare biogeographical pattern, calling for more detailed investigation of Anelosimus biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Brian B. Jencik
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Giselle M. Veve
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | - Diego Agostini
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Seok Ping Goh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Pruitt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Xu X, Liu F, Cheng RC, Chen J, Xu X, Zhang Z, Ono H, Pham DS, Norma-Rashid Y, Arnedo MA, Kuntner M, Li D. Extant primitively segmented spiders have recently diversified from an ancient lineage. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20142486. [PMID: 25948684 PMCID: PMC4455790 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Living fossils are lineages that have retained plesiomorphic traits through long time periods. It is expected that such lineages have both originated and diversified long ago. Such expectations have recently been challenged in some textbook examples of living fossils, notably in extant cycads and coelacanths. Using a phylogenetic approach, we tested the patterns of the origin and diversification of liphistiid spiders, a clade of spiders considered to be living fossils due to their retention of arachnid plesiomorphies and their exclusive grouping in Mesothelae, an ancient clade sister to all modern spiders. Facilitated by original sampling throughout their Asian range, we here provide the phylogenetic framework necessary for reconstructing liphistiid biogeographic history. All phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Liphistiidae and of eight genera. As the fossil evidence supports a Carboniferous Euramerican origin of Mesothelae, our dating analyses postulate a long eastward over-land dispersal towards the Asian origin of Liphistiidae during the Palaeogene (39-58 Ma). Contrary to expectations, diversification within extant liphistiid genera is relatively recent, in the Neogene and Late Palaeogene (4-24 Ma). While no over-water dispersal events are needed to explain their evolutionary history, the history of liphistiid spiders has the potential to play prominently in vicariant biogeographic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jian Chen
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhisheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hirotsugu Ono
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305-0005, Japan
| | - Dinh Sac Pham
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Y Norma-Rashid
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Miquel A Arnedo
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daiqin Li
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Gregorič M, Agnarsson I, Blackledge TA, Kuntner M. Phylogenetic position and composition of Zygiellinae andCaerostris, with new insight into orb-web evolution and gigantism. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Gregorič
- Institute of Biology; Scientific Research Centre; Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Novi trg 2 P. O. Box 306 SI-1001 Ljubljana Slovenia
- Integrated Bioscience Program; Department of Biology; University of Akron; Akron OH 44325-3908 USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology; University of Vermont; Burlington VT USA
- Department of Entomology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Integrated Bioscience Program; Department of Biology; University of Akron; Akron OH 44325-3908 USA
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology; Scientific Research Centre; Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Novi trg 2 P. O. Box 306 SI-1001 Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Entomology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution; College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan Hubei China
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Xu X, Liu F, Chen J, Ono H, Li D, Kuntner M. A genus-level taxonomic review of primitively segmented spiders (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae). Zookeys 2015:121-51. [PMID: 25878527 PMCID: PMC4389128 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.488.8726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The spider suborder Mesothelae, containing a single extant family Liphistiidae, represents a species-poor and ancient lineage. These are conspicuous spiders that primitively retain a segmented abdomen and appendage-like spinnerets. While their classification history is nearly devoid of phylogenetic hypotheses, we here revise liphistiid genus level taxonomy based on original sampling throughout their Asian range, and on the evidence from a novel molecular phylogeny. By combining morphological and natural history evidence with phylogenetic relationships in the companion paper, we provide strong support for the monophyly of Liphistiidae, and the two subfamilies Liphistiinae and Heptathelinae. While the former only contains Liphistius Schiödte, 1849, a genus distributed in Indonesia (Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, we recognize and diagnose seven heptatheline genera, all but three removed from the synonymy of Heptathela: i) Ganthela Xu & Kuntner, gen. n. with the type species Ganthelayundingensis Xu, sp. n. is known from Fujian and Jiangxi, China; ii) a rediagnosed Heptathela Kishida, 1923 is confined to the Japanese islands (Kyushu and Okinawa); iii) Qiongthela Xu & Kuntner, gen. n. with the type species Qiongthelabaishensis Xu, sp. n. is distributed disjunctly in Hainan, China and Vietnam; iv) Ryuthela Haupt, 1983 is confined to the Ryukyu archipelago (Japan); v) Sinothela Haupt, 2003 inhabits Chinese areas north of Yangtze; vi) Songthela Ono, 2000 inhabits southwest China and northern Vietnam; and vii) Vinathela Ono, 2000 (Abcathela Ono, 2000, syn. n.; Nanthela Haupt, 2003, syn. n.) is known from southeast China and Vietnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), and Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Fengxiang Liu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), and Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), and Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Hirotsugu Ono
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-0005, Japan
| | - Daiqin Li
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), and Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China ; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), and Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China ; Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia ; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C, USA
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Čandek K, Gregorič M, Kostanjšek R, Frick H, Kropf C, Kuntner M. Corrigendum: Targeting a portion of central European spider diversity for permanent preservation. Biodivers Data J 2015:e4301. [PMID: 25698090 PMCID: PMC4332230 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.3.e4301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Klemen Čandek
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Holger Frick
- National Collection of Natural History, Office of Environment, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
| | - Christian Kropf
- Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia ; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Gregorič
- Institute of Biology Scientific Research Centre Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program University of Akron Akron OH USA
| | - M. Kuntner
- Institute of Biology Scientific Research Centre Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Entomology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington DC USA
- College of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan Hubei China
| | - T. A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program University of Akron Akron OH USA
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Abstract
The research of the spider fauna of Slovenia dates back to the very beginning of binomial nomenclature, and has gone through more and less prolific phases with authors concentrating on taxonomy, faunistics, ecology and zoogeographic reviews. Although the body of published works is remarkable for a small nation, the faunistic data has remained too scattered for a thorough understanding of regional biotic diversity, for comparative and ecological research, and for informed conservation purposes. A national checklist is long overdue. Here, a critical review of all published records in any language is provided. The species list currently comprises 738 species, is published online at http://www.bioportal.si/katalog/araneae.php under the title Araneae Sloveniae, and will be updated in due course. This tool will fill the void in cataloguing regional spider faunas and will facilitate further araneological research in central and southern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rok Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia ; Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China ; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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