Revision of the endemic Australian genus Spinasteron (Araneae : Zodariidae): taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography

Abstract

This revision of the endemic Australian zodariid genus Spinasteron Baehr, 2003 revealed 19 species. Sixteen species could be placed in two species-groups: the S. nigriceps-group: S. barlee, sp. nov., S. cavasteroides, sp. nov., S. arenarium, sp. nov., S. knowlesi, sp. nov., S. lemleyi, sp. nov., S. longbottomi, sp. nov., S. mjobergi, sp. nov., S. nigriceps Baehr, 2003, S. waldockae, sp. nov., S. weiri, sp. nov. and S. woodstock, sp. nov.; and the S. ramboldi-group: S. casuarium, sp. nov., S. kronestedti, sp. nov., S. ramboldi, sp. nov., S. spatulanum, sp. nov. and S. westi, sp. nov. Three species (S. ludwigi, sp. nov., S. sanford Baehr, 2003 and S. peron, sp. nov.) could not be placed in any species-group. Females from only four of the new species (S. arenarium, sp. nov., S. barlee, sp. nov., S. weiri, sp. nov. and S. westi, sp. nov.) were available for this study. The possible relationships of the species-groups and species are analysed with Hennig86, NONA and also reconstructed using the original Hennigian method. All three methods indicate that only two species-groups (S. nigriceps-group and S. ramboldi-group) represent independent lineages, whereas S. sanford and S. ludwigi, sp. nov. can be seen as the basal sister-species of both. The placement of S. peron, sp. nov. is uncertain.