Allozyme Characterisation of the Salt Lake Spiders (Lycosa: Lycosidae: Araneae) of Southern Australia: Systematic and Population Genetic Implications.

Abstract

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to determine the genetic relationships amongst various populations of Lycosa alteripa, L. eyrei and L. salifodina, the three described species of wolf spider endemic to the normally dry salt lakes of southern Australia. A total of 185 individuals from 38 sites was analysed for allozyme variation at 31-35 loci. The results demonstrate the presence of two additional species of salt lake spider, one related to L. alteripa and the other related to L. eyrei. Limited population genetic analysis of the data indicates that population substructuring is common within most species, often to the finest level of geographic sampling. The data indicate that gene flow is limited in these species and reveal three instances of a similar macro-geographic pattern being displayed amongst subpopulations or taxa in central South Australia. Estimates of genetic divergence between the five taxa have also been used to provide a 'first-guess' estimate of the times of divergence for the major cladogenic events within this lineage.