Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Invertebrate Systematics Invertebrate Systematics Society
Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Phylogenetic placement of the spider genus Taczanowskia (Araneae : Araneidae) and description of a new species from Ecuador

Juan Pablo Jordán https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2630-0031 A B D , Mariela Domínguez-Trujillo B and Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6132-2738 A B C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito 170901, Ecuador.

B Museo de Zoología & Laboratorio de Zoología Terrestre, Instituto de Biodiversidad Tropical iBIOTROP & Instituto Biósfera, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito 170901, Ecuador.

C Unidad de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad INABIO, Quito, Ecuador.

D Corresponding authors. Email: juanpablojordan99@gmail.com; diego.cisnerosheredia@gmail.com

Invertebrate Systematics 35(7) 742-753 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS20084
Submitted: 23 November 2020  Accepted: 30 March 2021   Published: 23 September 2021

Abstract

The genus Taczanowskia Keyserling, 1879 is one of the rarest groups of spiders in the orb-weaving family Araneidae, with only five species described and 17 specimens cited in publications. Our study provides new insights into the evolutionary relationships and diversity of Taczanowskia. Using morphological data, we tested the evolutionary relationships of the genus within the family Araneidae and propose the first phylogenetic hypothesis depicting the relationships among species of Taczanowskia. Our results place Taczanowskia as sister to Mastophora Holmberg, 1876, and confirm the monophyly of Taczanowskia. We describe the first species of Taczanowskia from Ecuador, collected at a Waorani community on the River Curaray basin, Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. The new species can be easily diagnosed from all other species of Taczanowskia by having two tubercles in the opisthosoma; a distinct patchy dark–light colouration pattern with dark spots concentrated towards the anterior margin and on the lateral tips; small bundles of white setae forming a reticulum across the dorsal part of the opisthosoma, and the first two femora thick but lacking teeth on the margin.

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:46B8C1F7-A474-4DC3-90BC-940F84AC099D


References

Bass, M. S., Finer, M., Jenkins, C. N., Kreft, H., Cisneros-Heredia, D. F., McCracken, S. F., Pitman, N. C. A., English, P. H., Swing, K., Villa, G., Di Fiore, A., Voigt, C. C., and Kunz, T. H. (2010). Global conservation significance of Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park. PLoS One 5, e8767.
Global conservation significance of Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20098736PubMed |

Bini, L. M., Diniz-Filho, J. A. F., Rangel, T. F. L. V. B., Bastos, R. P., and Pinto, M. P. (2006). Challenging Wallacean and Linnean shortfalls: knowledge gradients and conservation planning in a biodiversity hotspot. Diversity & Distributions 12, 475–482.
Challenging Wallacean and Linnean shortfalls: knowledge gradients and conservation planning in a biodiversity hotspot.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Castanheira, P., Pérez-González, A., and Baptist, R. (2016). Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) in Atlantic Forest areas at Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Biodiversity Data Journal 4, e7055.
Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) in Atlantic Forest areas at Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Cisneros-Heredia, D. F., and Carrazco-Montalvo, I. (2016). First record of Bertrana striolata (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneidae) in Amazonian Ecuador. ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías 8, 48–50.

Coddington, J., and Scharff, N. (1994). Problems with zero-length branches. Cladistics 10, 415–423.
Problems with zero-length branches.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. M., Graham, D. J., Webster, A. L., Primm, S. A., Bookbinder, M. P., and Ledec, G. (1995). ‘A Conservation Assessment of the Terrestrial Ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean.’ (The World Bank: Washington, DC, USA.)

Eberhard, W. G. (1980). The natural history and behavior of the bolas spider Mastophora dizzydeani sp. n. (Araneidae). Psyche 87, 143–169.
The natural history and behavior of the bolas spider Mastophora dizzydeani sp. n. (Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Eberhard, W. G. (1981). Notes on the natural history of Taczanowskia sp. (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 5, 175–176.

Eberhard, W. G. (1982). Behavioral characters for the higher classification of orb-weaving spiders. Evolution 36, 1067–1095.
Behavioral characters for the higher classification of orb-weaving spiders.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 28567834PubMed |

Framenau, V. W. (2011). Lariniophora, a new monotypic orb-weaving spider genus from Australia (Araneae: Araneidae: Araneinae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 26, 191–201.
Lariniophora, a new monotypic orb-weaving spider genus from Australia (Araneae: Araneidae: Araneinae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Framenau, V. W., Dupérré, N., Blackledge, T. A., and Vink, C. J. (2010a). Systematics of the new Australasian orb-weaving spider genus Backobourkia (Araneae: Araneidae: Araneinae). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 68, 79–111.

Framenau, V. W., Scharff, N., and Harvey, M. S. (2010b). Systematics of the Australian orb-weaving spider genus Demadiana, with comments on the generic classification of the Arkyinae (Araneae, Araneidae). Invertebrate Systematics 24, 139–171.
Systematics of the Australian orb-weaving spider genus Demadiana, with comments on the generic classification of the Arkyinae (Araneae, Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Goloboff, P. A. (1993). Estimating character weights during tree search. Cladistics 9, 83–91.
Estimating character weights during tree search.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Goloboff, P. A., and Catalano, S. A. (2016). TNT version 1.5, including a full implementation of phylogenetic morphometrics. Cladistics 32, 221–238.
TNT version 1.5, including a full implementation of phylogenetic morphometrics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Goloboff, P. A., Farris, J. S., Källersjö, M., Oxelman, B., Ramírez, M. J., and Szumik, C. A. (2003). Improvements to resampling measures of group support. Cladistics 19, 324–332.
Improvements to resampling measures of group support.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Harmer, A., and Framenau, V. (2008). Telaprocera (Araneae: Araneidae), a new genus of Australian orb-web spiders with highly elongated webs. Zootaxa 1956, 59–80.
Telaprocera (Araneae: Araneidae), a new genus of Australian orb-web spiders with highly elongated webs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Hazzi, N. A., Polotow, D., Brescovit, A. D., González-Obando, R., and Simó, M. (2018). Systematics and biogeography of Spinoctenus, a new genus of wandering spider from Colombia (Ctenidae). Invertebrate Systematics 32, 111–158.
Systematics and biogeography of Spinoctenus, a new genus of wandering spider from Colombia (Ctenidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Ibarra-Núñez, G. (2013). A new species of the spider genus Taczanowskia (Araneae, Araneidae) from Mexico. Zootaxa 3664, 57–62.
A new species of the spider genus Taczanowskia (Araneae, Araneidae) from Mexico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26266285PubMed |

Köhler, G. (2012). ‘Color Catalogue for Field Biologists.’ (Herpeton: Offenbach, Germany.)

Kuntner, M. (2002). The placement of Perilla (Araneae, Araneidae) with comments on araneid phylogeny. The Journal of Arachnology 30, 281–287.
The placement of Perilla (Araneae, Araneidae) with comments on araneid phylogeny.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kuntner, M., and Hormiga, G. (2002). The African spider genus Singafrotypa (Araneae, Araneidae). The Journal of Arachnology 30, 129–139.
The African spider genus Singafrotypa (Araneae, Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Leroy, J.-M., Jocqué, R., and Leroy, A. (1998). On the behavior of the African bolas-spider Cladomelea akermani Hewitt (Araneae, Araneidae, Cyrtarachninae), with description of the male. Annals of the Natal Museum 39, 1–9.

Levi, H. W. (1978). The American orb-weaver genera Colphepeira, Micrathena, and Gasteracantha north of Mexico (Araneae, Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 148, 417–442.

Levi, H. W. (1993). The Neotropical orb-weaving spiders of the genera Wixia, Pozonia, and Ocrepeira (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 153, 47–141.

Levi, H. W. (1996). The genus Taczanowskia of the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae (Aranea). Anales del Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Serie Zoologia 67, 183–195.

Levi, H. W. (2002). Keys to the genera of araneid orbweavers (Araneae, Araneidae) of the Americas. The Journal of Arachnology 30, 527–562.
Keys to the genera of araneid orbweavers (Araneae, Araneidae) of the Americas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Levi, H. W. (2003). The bolas spiders of the genus Mastophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157, 309–382.

Lewis, P. O. (2001). A likelihood approach to estimating phylogeny from discrete morphological character data. Systematic Biology 50, 913–925.
A likelihood approach to estimating phylogeny from discrete morphological character data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12116640PubMed |

Magalhães, I. L. F., and Santos, A. J. (2012). Phylogenetic analysis of Micrathena and Chaetacis spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) reveals multiple origins of extreme sexual size dimorphism and long abdominal spines. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166, 14–53.
Phylogenetic analysis of Micrathena and Chaetacis spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) reveals multiple origins of extreme sexual size dimorphism and long abdominal spines.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Nogueira, A., Venticinque, E., Brescovit, A., Lo-Man-Hung, N., and Candiani, D. (2014). List of species of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) from the Pico da Neblina, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Check List 10, 1044–1060.
List of species of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) from the Pico da Neblina, state of Amazonas, Brazil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Nylander, J. A. A., Ronquist, F., Huelsenbeck, J. P., and Nieves-Aldrey, J. L. (2004). Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of combined data. Systematic Biology 53, 47–67.
Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of combined data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., Wikramanayake, E. D., Burgess, N. D., Powell, G. V. N., Underwood, E. C., D’amico, J. A., Itoua, I., Strand, H. E., Morrison, J. C., Loucks, C. J., Allnutt, T. F., Ricketts, T. H., Kura, Y., Lamoreux, J. F., Wettengel, W. W., Hedao, P., and Kassem, K. R. (2001). Terrestrial ecoregions of the World: a new map of life on Earth. A new global map of terrestrial ecoregions provides an innovative tool for conserving biodiversity. Bioscience 51, 933–938.
Terrestrial ecoregions of the World: a new map of life on Earth. A new global map of terrestrial ecoregions provides an innovative tool for conserving biodiversity.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Ronquist, F., and Huelsenbeck, J. P. (2003). MrBayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models. Bioinformatics 19, 1572–1574.
MrBayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12912839PubMed |

Santos, A. J., Brescovit, A. D., de Oliveira-Tomasi, M., Russo, P., and Oliveira, U. (2017). Curves, maps and hotspots: the diversity and distribution of araneomorph spiders in the Neotropics. In ‘Behaviour and Ecology of Spiders: Contributions from the Neotropical Region’. (Eds C. Viera, and M. O. Gonzaga.) pp. 1–8. (Springer International Publishing: New York, NY, USA.)

Scharff, N., and Coddington, J. A. (1997). A phylogenetic analysis of the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 120, 355–434.
A phylogenetic analysis of the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Scharff, N., and Hormiga, G. (2012). First evidence of aggressive chemical mimicry in the Malagasy orb weaving spider Exechocentrus lancearius Simon, 1889 (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneidae) and description of a second species in the genus. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 70, 107–118.

Scharff, N., and Schmidt, J. B. (2008). A taxonomic revision of the orb-weaving spider genus Acusilas Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Araneidae). Insect Systematics & Evolution 39, 1–38.
A taxonomic revision of the orb-weaving spider genus Acusilas Simon, 1895 (Araneae, Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Scharff, N., Coddington, J. A., Blackledge, T. A., Agnarsson, I., Framenau, V. W., Szűts, T., Hayashi, C. Y., and Dimitrov, D. (2020). Phylogeny of the orb‐weaving spider family Araneidae (Araneae: Araneoidea). Cladistics 36, 1–21.
Phylogeny of the orb‐weaving spider family Araneidae (Araneae: Araneoidea).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Simon, E. (1895). ‘Histoire Naturelle des Araignées.’ (Librairie Encyclopédique : Paris, France.)

Simon, E. (1897). Etudes arachnologiques. 27e Mémoire. XLII. Descriptions d’espèces nouvelles de l’ordre des Araneae. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 65, 465–510.

Smith, H. (2006). A revision of the genus Poltys in Australasia (Araneae: Araneidae). Records of the Australian Museum 58, 43–96.
A revision of the genus Poltys in Australasia (Araneae: Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Swofford, D. L., and Maddison, W. P. (1987). Reconstructing ancestral character states under Wagner parsimony. Mathematical Biosciences 87, 199–229.
Reconstructing ancestral character states under Wagner parsimony.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Tanikawa, A. (2000). Japanese spiders of the genus Eriophora (Araneae: Araneidae). Acta Arachnologica 49, 17–28.
Japanese spiders of the genus Eriophora (Araneae: Araneidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Tanikawa, A., Shinkai, A., and Miyashita, T. (2014). Molecular phylogeny of moth-specialized spidersub-family Cyrtarachninae, which includes bolas spiders. Zoological Science 31, 716–720.
Molecular phylogeny of moth-specialized spidersub-family Cyrtarachninae, which includes bolas spiders.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25366153PubMed |

Yeargan, K. V. (1994). Biology of bolas spiders. Annual Review of Entomology 39, 81–99.
Biology of bolas spiders.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |