ORCID Profile
0009-0006-7437-6897
Current Organisation
Universität Hamburg
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Publisher: American Arachnological Society
Date: 10-08-2022
DOI: 10.1636/JOA-S-21-033
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ASD.2022.101165
Abstract: Pseudoscorpions are an ancient and globally distributed lineage of arachnids with more than 4000 species. Despite being present in virtually all terrestrial habitats, their morphology and anatomy has rarely been studied to date, which h ers homology statements both within and between other arachnid orders. All pseudoscorpions share a morphological peculiarity, the fixation of the coxae of all the walking legs. The same morphological condition is seen in certain other arachnid taxa, such as Solifugae or Scorpiones - potential sistergroups of Pseudoscorpiones. To investigate the musculature apparatus of this unusual feature, we reconstructed the musculature in the coxae of walking legs in three species of pseudoscorpions that represent the three major clades within this order. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we show that pseudoscorpions have the highest number of coxal muscles amongst the arachnid orders (12 vs. fewer than 10 in others), and that the muscular composition of the first two legs differs from that in the hind legs, correlating with the difference in function, i.e. pulling in the front legs and pushing in the hind legs. Pseudoscorpions are also unique amongst the arachnids in lacking endoskeletal structures (coxal apodeme or costa coxalis) inside the coxae. We observed that within pseudoscorpions, there is a trend towards a reduction of the number of coxal muscles, with the most basal-branching taxon having the highest number and more derived taxa exhibiting lower counts. We hypothesize the muscular ground pattern for Pseudoscorpiones and discuss the evolution of this system by comparing it to the (scanty) data on other arachnids available in the literature.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 11-10-2021
Abstract: Abstract Mouse spiders (genus Missulena Walckenaer, 1805) are a lineage of trapdoor spiders with males of many species having a brightly coloured red cephalic region, an abdomen that is tinged metallic blue, and the habit of wandering during the day in search of a mate. A total of 17 species of Missulena have been described in Australia to date but most descriptions are based exclusively on males and always small numbers of specimens. Here, we describe three new species of Missulena from the Pilbara and Goldfields regions of Western Australia based on morphology and genetic data: Missulena davidi sp. nov. (male and female), M. iugum sp. nov. (male) and M. manningensis sp. nov. (male). One of them is presently known only from its type locality and another one from a small range based on two specimens but M. davidi sp. nov. has a linear range of almost 300 km and is genetically highly structured. We use genetic data for 75 specimens as a foundation to evaluate morphological variability in this species and note substantial variation in several characters commonly used to identify species such as body size, colouration, rastellum shape and eye distances. This variation does not necessarily relate to phylogeographic structure as inferred from the genetic data, but rather seems to reflect natural variability both within and between localised populations. Overall, our results stress the need to evaluate a large series of specimens for mygalomorph taxonomy and provide an interesting ex le of intraspecific variability in hard-to-collect species that are usually underrepresented in museum collections.
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 25-11-2020
DOI: 10.22541/AU.160628408.89676744/V1
Abstract: Quarry operations cause serious environmental impact on invertebrate communities and contribute negatively to habitat destruction and the species they promote but very little is still known about the response of butterflies to such disturbances in western Africa. The current study provides data from a baseline survey of butterflies at Mowire quarry site in the agroecological zone of Ghana and investigates the effects of ongoing quarry operations on butterfly ersity. Specifically quarry operations were assessed on species abundance and richness. A total of 417 in idual butterflies belonging to 67 species from 5 families was recorded in three zones. High relative abundance in the Eastern Zone (EZ) (N = 329) and high species richness (S = 55) may be due to increased flowering plants ersity which contain sweet nectar which attracts and support rich butterfly abundance. Low species richness (S = 22) and relative abundance (N= 41) in the Western Zone (WZ), and Northern Zone (NZ) (S = 21) and low relative abundance (N= 47), was corroborated with low plant ersity. Our results shows that, the EZ received less negative impact from the quarry operations but the operations negatively affected WZ and NZ. More generally our study indicates that state institutions should ensure mandatory environmental impact assessment reports from the quarry companies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.ASD.2013.04.003
Abstract: Spinnerets from Phobetinus sagittifer and an undescribed Phobetinus species were examined by scanning electron microscopy to gain a better understanding of this genus' relationships to other genera in the family Mimetidae. Consistent with placement of Phobetinus in Mimetinae, females possessed two synapomorphies of this subfamily enlarged cylindrical silk gland spigots with domed shafts and a single cylindrical spigot per posterior lateral spinneret (PLS). Spinning field features overall suggest Phobetinus is most closely related to Mimetus, followed by Australomimetus, then Ero. A possible synapomorphy of a clade including Mimetus and Phobetinus is a pair of modified piriform silk gland spigots on each anterior lateral spinneret of adult males located adjacent to the secondary major ullate silk gland tartipore. These spigots were present in P. sagittifer however, similarly positioned spigots in the undescribed species were not obviously modified (i.e., wider or with larger openings relative to the other piriform spigots). Close affinity to Mimetus was also indicated by tartipore-accommodated PLS aciniform silk glands in both Phobetinus species. These have been consistently observed in Mimetus, but not in Australomimetus or Ero. Somatic and genitalic drawings of P. sagittifer are provided to aid identification and similarities are noted between male pedipalps of Mimetus and Phobetinus.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-05-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-01-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-022-26298-5
Abstract: Nested within the Mediterranean bio ersity hotspot, the Dinaric Karst of the western Balkans is one of the world’s most heterogeneous subterranean ecosystems and renowned for its highly erse and mostly endemic fauna. The evolutionary processes leading to both endemism and ersity remain insufficiently understood, and large-scale analyses on taxa that are abundant in both subterranean and surface habitats remain infrequent. Here, we provide the first comprehensive molecular study on Croatian pseudoscorpions, a lineage of arachnids that is common and erse in both habitats. Phylogenetic reconstructions using 499 COI sequences derived from 128 morphospecies collected across the Dinaric Karst show that: (i) occurrence in karstic microhabitats boosters speciation and endemism in the most erse genera Chthonius C.L. Koch, 1843 (37 morphospecies) and Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 (34 morphospecies), (ii) evidence for ongoing ersification is found in many species and species complexes through low optimal thresholds (OTs) and species delineation analyses, and (iii) landscape features, such as mountain ranges, correlate with patterns of genetic ersity in the erse genus Neobisium . We present two synonymies: Protoneobisium Ćurčić, 1988 = Neobisium , syn. nov., and Archaeoroncus Ćurčić and Rađa, 2012 = Roncus L. Koch, 1873, syn. nov. Overall, our study suggests that karstic microhabitats promote ersification in soil- and cave-dwelling arthropods at all taxonomic levels, but also provide important refugia for invertebrates in past and present periods of environmental change.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 28-03-2022
DOI: 10.5194/EGUSPHERE-EGU22-8602
Abstract: & & Zoological collections of extant taxa allow assessment of bio ersity only for the past few centuries, when it was already affected by human& activity. To understand present-day ersity declines, documenting bio ersity changes in fossil taxa and the drivers behind these shifts is crucial. We present an ongoing project on arthropod palaeo ersity as a case study. In this project, arthropods & #8211 particularly arachnids & #8211 in different amber deposits are examined to assess the effect of ecosystem shifts and climate variability on bio ersity from the Eocene until today and to analyze evolutionary trends and biogeographical scenarios. We aim to compare past changes with current ersity trends in order to better predict the future of our arachnid fauna.& &
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-02-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.2957
Abstract: Deforestation and land-use change in tropical regions result in habitat loss and extinction of species that are unable to adapt to the conditions in agricultural landscapes. If the associated loss of functional ersity is not compensated by species colonizing the converted habitats, extinctions might be followed by a reduction or loss of ecosystem functions including biological control. To date, little is known about how land-use change in the tropics alters the functional ersity of invertebrate predators and which key environmental factors may mitigate the decline in functional ersity and predation in litter and soil communities. We applied litter sieving and heat extraction to study ground spider communities and assessed structural characteristics of vegetation and parameters of litter in rainforest and agricultural land-use systems (jungle rubber, rubber, and oil palm monocultures) in a Southeast Asian hotspot of rainforest conversion: Sumatra, Indonesia. We found that (1) spider density, species richness, functional ersity, and community predation (energy flux to spiders) were reduced by 57-98% from rainforest to oil palm monoculture (2) jungle rubber and rubber monoculture sustained relatively high ersity and predation in ground spiders, but small cryptic spider species strongly declined (3) high species turnover compensated losses of some functional trait combinations, but did not compensate for the overall loss of functional ersity and predation per unit area (4) spider ersity was related to habitat structure such as amount of litter, understory density, and understory height, while spider predation was better explained by plant ersity. Management practices that increase habitat-structural complexity and plant ersity such as mulching, reduced weeding, and intercropping monocultures with other plants may contribute to maintaining functional ersity of and predation services provided by ground invertebrate communities in plantations.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 23-01-2018
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4375.1.1
Abstract: Solifuges are an enigmatic and poorly studied group of arachnids. Commonly referred to as camel spiders or sun spiders, these animals are voracious predators of small animals and found in arid biomes of the Old World and the Americas. In this paper, we provide a catalogue for the solifuges (Arachnida: Solifugae) that are held at the Center of Natural History in Hamburg. The collections in Hamburg are predominantly historical and were accumulated by Karl Kraepelin between 1889 and 1914 with the help of other famous arachnologists such as Ferdinant Karsch and Eugène Simon. The re-study of these collections indicates that there are 38 type species and 65 type specimens from 10 families. We provide a detailed account of this material, including collection data, taxonomic updates, measurements and high-resolution images for species that are either poorly or not at all illustrated. Most specimens (70%) were collected in Africa as part of colonial expeditions or field surveys but there are also types from Western Asia (11%), and North and South America (19%). We provide an overview of the history of this collection, including a summary of the field surveys during which the specimens were collected and the arachnologists who described the material. Overall, this is the third-largest collection of solifuges in Germany with a distinct biogeographical focus and one of the largest collections of camel spiders in Europe.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 09-08-2017
Abstract: Abstract. Pseudoscorpions, given their resemblance to scorpions, have attracted human attention since the time of Aristotle, although they are much smaller and lack the sting and elongated tail. These arachnids have a long evolutionary history but their origins and phylogenetic affinities are still being debated. Here, we summarise their fossil record based on a comprehensive review of the literature and data contained in other sources. Pseudoscorpions are one of the oldest colonisers of the land, with fossils known since the Middle Devonian (ca. 390 Ma). The only arachnid orders with an older fossil record are scorpions, harvestmen and acariform mites, plus two extinct groups. Pseudoscorpions do not fossilise easily, and records from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic consist almost exclusively of amber inclusions. Most Mesozoic fossils come from Archingeay and Burmese ambers (Late Cretaceous) and those from the Cenozoic are primarily from Eocene Baltic amber, although additional fossils from, for ex le, Miocene Dominican and Mexican ambers, are known. Overall, 16 of the 26 families of living pseudoscorpions have been documented from fossils and 49 currently valid species are recognised in the literature. Pseudoscorpions represent a case of morphological stasis and even the Devonian fossils look rather modern. Indeed, most amber fossils are comparable to Recent groups despite a major gap in the fossil record of almost 250 Myr. Baltic amber inclusions indicate palaeofauna inhabiting much warmer climates than today and point to climatic shifts in central Europe since the Eocene. They also indicate that some groups (e.g. Feaellidae and Pseudogarypidae) had much wider Eocene distributions. Their present-day occurrence is relictual and highlights past extinction events. Faunas from younger tropical amber deposits (e.g. Dominican and Mexican amber) are comparable to Recent ones. Generally, there is a strong bias in the amber record towards groups that live under tree bark, whereas those from litter habitats are underrepresented. We also discuss challenges in interpreting fossils: their cryptic morphology warranting novel techniques of morphological reconstruction, the massive gap in the fossil record between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic, and problems with the classification of (historically) old amber material. Finally, we discuss aspects of the palaeoecology and biology of the fossils compared with the Recent fauna, such as phoresy.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 11-11-2019
Abstract: Scorpions have always inspired fear and fascination because of the potency of their venoms. Although this ancient arachnid group is relatively small (ca. 2400 species) and has been continuously studied for the past century, the taxonomy is still in a state of flux and the correct identification of species often remains difficult. With more than 725 species and 9000 specimens, the Zoological Museum in Hamburg (ZMH) holds one of the largest and most significant scorpion collections in the world. This collection also contains many historical types described by Karl Kraepelin in the early 20 th century. In order to contribute to a more stable scorpion taxonomy and to assist future scorpion researchers, we present an illustrated and annotated catalogue of the ZMH scorpion collections. The type specimens of 89 species belonging to 10 families are documented, imaged and assessed alongside their primary data. For practical reasons, only the taxa belonging to the parvorder Iurida Soleglad et Fet, 2003 are presented here whilst the Parvorder Buthida Soleglad et Fet, 2003 will be catalogued in a second publication.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 27-05-2021
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4977.1.1
Abstract: Centipedes (Myriapoda: Chilopoda) are carnivorous arthropods that live in leaf litter and soil habitats on all continents except Antarctica. Roughly 3,300 species have been described to date but the taxonomy is still progressing and requires a thorough documentation of type material and type deposits. In this paper we provide an annotated catalogue of the centipede type collection at the Zoological Museum (ZMH) in Hamburg. This collection comprises 490 type specimens belonging to 141 taxa originally described as species, subspecies and varieties. More than half of these taxa were described by the pioneering myriapodologists Carl Graf Attems (Vienna) and Karl Kraepelin (Hamburg). The collection includes material representing 93 valid species or subspecies and contains specimens predominantly from Australia (33%), Asia (22%), Africa (20%) and South America (20%). Taxonomically, the focus is on the centipede orders Scolopendromorpha (56 valid species) and Geophilomorpha (28 valid species) with fewer types for the Lithobiomorpha (8 species). A total of 48 taxa (34% of type species) have been synonymized since they were originally described and the type material for 12 additional species at the ZMH is lost. We provide a brief historical overview of this collection from its origin at the Museum Godeffroy and the Johanneum in Hamburg, including the most relevant taxonomists and collectors, followed by an annotated taxonomic catalogue with details on all species that are or were represented by type material.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-12-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-04-2019
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLZ010
Abstract: The south-western ision of Australia is the only bio ersity hotspot in Australia and is well-known for extreme levels of local endemism. Climate change has been identified as a key threat for flora and fauna, but very few data are presently available to evaluate its impact on invertebrate fauna. Here, we derive a molecular phylogeography for pseudoscorpions of the genus Pseudotyrannochthonius that in the south-west are restricted to regions with the highest rainfall. A dated molecular phylogeny derived from six gene fragments is used for biogeographic reconstruction analyses, spatial mapping, environmental niche-modelling, and to infer putative species. Phylogenetic analyses uncover nine clades with mostly allopatric distributions and often small linear ranges between 0.5 and 130 km. Molecular dating suggests that the origins of contemporary ersity fall into a period of warm/humid Palaeogene climates, but splits in the phylogeny coincide with major environmental shifts, such as significant global cooling during the Middle Miocene. By testing several models of historical biogeography available for the south-west, we determine that Pseudotyrannochthonius is an ancient relict lineage that principally follows a model of allopatric speciation in mesic zone refugia, although there are derivations from this model in that some species are older and distribution patterns more complex than expected. Ecological niche models indicate that drier and warmer future climates will lead to range contraction towards refugia of highest rainfall, probably mimicking past variations that have generated high ersity in these areas. Their conservation management will be crucial for preserving the unique bio ersity heritage of the south-west.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-12-2017
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 24-10-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.22.513338
Abstract: Considerable progress has been achieved in resolving higher-level relationships of Arthropoda in the past two decades, largely precipitated by advances in sequencing technology. Yet, dark branches persist in the arthropod tree of life, principally among groups that are difficult to collect, occur in cryptic habitats, or are characterized by minute body size. Among chelicerates, the meso erse order Solifugae (commonly called camel spiders or sun spiders) is one of the last orders of Arachnida that lacks a higher-level phylogeny altogether and has long been characterized as one of the “neglected cousins”, a lineage of arachnid orders that are comparatively poorly studied with respect to evolutionary relationships. Though renowned for their aggression, remarkable running speed, and adaptation to arid habitats, inferring solifuge relationships has been hindered by inaccessibility of diagnostic characters in most ontogenetic stages for morphological datasets, whereas molecular investigations to date have been limited to one of the 12 recognized families. In this study we generated a phylogenomic dataset via capture of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and s led all extant families. We recovered a well-resolved phylogeny of solifuge families, with two distinct groups of New World taxa nested within a broader Paleotropical radiation. To provide a temporal context to solifuge ersification, we estimated molecular ergence times using fossil calibrations within a least-squares framework. Solifugae were inferred to have radiated by the Permian, with ergences of most families dating to the post Paleogene-Cretaceous extinction. These results accord with a ersification history largely driven by vicariance as a result of continental breakup.
Publisher: American Arachnological Society
Date: 15-04-2022
DOI: 10.1636/JOA-S-21-063
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-04-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-63521-7
Abstract: Cylindrical silk gland (CY) spigots distinguish a large clade of modern spiders, the CY spigot clade, which includes all entelegyne spiders and their closest relatives. Following a widespread paradigm, CYs and their spigots are only known to occur in female spiders and they produce silk used in the construction of egg sacs. Here we report the occurrence of a CY spigot or CY nubbin on each posterior median spinneret (PMS) in males (5 th stadium and later) of the spider Australomimetus maculosus . Late juvenile males had a CY spigot on each PMS, whereas adult males either had a CY spigot or, more often, a non-functional CY nubbin. This indicates that potential CY use by males is at least largely limited to late juvenile instars and is not involved with egg sac construction. Despite the presence of CY spigots in both sexes, sexual dimorphism with respect to CYs was still evident since males lacked the CY spigot on each posterior lateral spinneret present in late juvenile and adult females, and CY spigots of males never had the wide shaft and opening of adult females. This study adds to our knowledge of spinning apparatus variability in modern spiders and demonstrates an exception to the paradigm that, in the CY spigot clade, such spigots are restricted to female spiders.
Publisher: American Arachnological Society
Date: 10-08-2022
DOI: 10.1636/JOA-S-21-025
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 19-03-2018
Abstract: In this paper, we are redescribing type material from the Zoological Museum in Hamburg that was thought to be lost. These specimens were described in 1902 by Eugène Simon from material collected in Southern Patagonia and Fireland but the species were subsequently considered nomina dubia , or simply not considered at all. The rediscovery of this material leads to the revalidation of two genera and four species. The genera Clitistes and Zilephus are reinstated and the species Clitistesvelutinus Simon, 1902 (Dictynidae), Zilephusgranulosus Simon, 1902, Minyriolusaustralis Simon, 1902 (both Linyphiidae), and Lycosamichaelseni Simon, 1902 (Lycosidae) are redescribed. To avoid further confusion, we designate lectotypes for: Linyphiidae: Minyriolusaustralis Simon, 1902, Gongylidiellumuschuaiense Simon, 1902, Nerienefuegiana Simon, 1902, Clitistesvelutinus Simon, 1902, Zilephusgranulosus Simon, 1902 Amphinectidae: Rubriusradulifer Simon, 1902 Hahniidae: Hahniamichaelseni Simon, 1902, Bigoisantarctica Simon, 1902 and Lycosidae: Lycosamichaelseni Simon, 1902. For all prior nomina dubia and newly designated lectotypes, the type specimens are re-described and properly illustrated for the first time.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-02-2018
Abstract: Bitterfeld amber, sometimes referred to as Saxon or Saxonian amber, is a potentially significant but poorly known source of arthropod data for the Palaeogene of northern Europe. An important aspect is a long-standing controversy about the age of this amber: namely whether it is equivalent to, and perhaps merely a southerly extension of, the better-known Baltic amber, or whether it is a unique and geological younger deposit s ling a different fauna. Here, we briefly review the Bitterfeld arachnids with particular emphasis on how these data could be used to elucidate the age of this deposit. Five arachnid orders have been recorded from Bitterfeld amber: spiders (Araneae), acariform mites (Acariformes), parasitiform mites (Parasitiformes), harvestmen (Opiliones) and pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpiones). This is a lower ersity than Baltic amber, where scorpions (Scorpiones) and camel spiders (Solifugae) have also been recorded. Spiders are the most comprehensively studied group, with more than 75 described species. Other groups such as pseudoscorpions and mites appear to be very erse, but are virtually undescribed. Morphological overlap is apparent in the arachnid fauna and 40 species are currently shared between Baltic and Bitterfeld amber whilst 50 species are unique to the Bitterfeld deposit. At the family level overlap is even higher, but in all groups Baltic amber appears more erse than Bitterfeld. This overlap may be interpreted as evidence for temporal conspecifity of the Baltic and Bitterfeld ambers, albeit with the Bitterfeld and Baltic ambers possibly representing independent localities within a larger Eocene European amber area which also included the Rovno amber from the Ukraine. However, caution should be exercised because the taxonomic foundation for such assumptions is far from comprehensive, most of the material remains to be studied in detail using modern techniques of morphological reconstruction. There are further issues with date estimates because some arachnid groups show extraordinary morphological stasis over time, even at species level, which may bias the analyses available. Here, we review the available knowledge on Bitterfeld arachnids and discuss how a detailed assessment of this fauna, and other arthropod taxa, could be generated. Several natural history museums – including Hamburg and Berlin – as well as private collectors host major assemblages of Bitterfeld fossils which may help to clarify the debate about the age and provenance of the material, and the extent to which (morpho)-species were maintained both over geographical distances and potentially geological time.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-12-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1071/IS08015
Abstract: Pirate spiders (Mimetidae) are well known for their specialised feeding ecology. They are vagrant araneophagic predators, enter the webs of their prey spiders and exhibit patterns of aggressive mimicry to overcome the web owner. The mimetid fauna of Australia and New Zealand currently consists of 26 species in the following three genera: Australomimetus Heimer, 1986 (18 species), Mimetus Hentz, 1832 (six species), and Ero C.L. Koch, 1836 (two species). The systematic position of the majority of Australasian mimetids was investigated through phylogenetic techniques utilising morphological character systems of 29 exemplar taxa and 87 characters, including the first examination of spinneret structure in species of Australomimetus. The results support an expanded concept for Australomimetus, which, apart from the introduced Ero aphana (Walckenaer, 1802), is found to contain the entire Australian and New Zealand mimetid fauna, also recorded from Asia. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: A. catulli (Heimer, 1989), comb. nov., A. hannemanni (Heimer, 1989), comb. nov., A. japonicus (Uyemura, 1938), comb. nov., A. mendicus (O. P. Cambridge, 1879), comb. nov. and A. sennio (Urquhart, 1891), comb. nov. Ero luzoniensis Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 is synonymised with Ero aphana, and A. andreae Heimer, 1989 is synonymised with A. daviesianus Heimer, 1986 Mimetus tikaderi Gajbe, 1992 from India is excluded from Mimetidae, and referred to Liocranidae. The Western Australian mimetid fauna is described for the first time and comprises nine species of Australomimetus, including the following five new species: A. diabolicus, sp. nov., A. djuka, sp. nov., A. dunlopi, sp. nov., A. nasoi, sp. nov. and A. stephanieae, sp. nov. Several species-groups of Australomimetus are identified.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 29-06-2018
Abstract: National laws fearing biopiracy squelch taxonomy studies
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-06-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S12542-021-00565-8
Abstract: Pseudoscorpions belong to the oldest terrestrial lineages with origins in the Devonian (ca. 385 Ma) but their fossil record is extremely sparse and little is known about their ersification over time. Here, we describe the first fossil species of the pseudoscorpion family Pseudotyrannochthoniidae that resemble the Devonian fossils in major details, such as the chaetotaxy of the pedipalps. We describe two new species, Allochthonius balticus sp. nov. from Baltic amber and Centrochthonius bitterfeldicus sp. nov. from Bitterfeld amber in northern Europe. Both species can unequivocally be assigned to extant genera and provide further evidence for dramatic range shifts in European invertebrate biota since the Paleogene. Allochthonius Chamberlin, 1929 is a erse genus in eastern Asia (China, Korea, and Japan) today but does not occur anywhere in central Asia, Europe or North America. Centrochthonius Beier, 1931 is a poorly known genus but seems to be restricted to high altitude habitats in central Asia (China, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal). With range retractions to regions more than 4600 km away from the European amber deposits, the fossils highlight total lineage extinction in Europe and survival in refugia that are climatically and botanically most similar to the Baltic amber forest of the Eocene. Overall, our results support the concept of morphological but potentially also ecological stasis in major pseudoscorpion lineages over long periods of time and agree with previous studies that suggested a warm temperate rather than subtropical or tropical climate for the time of amber deposition.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-08-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/AEN.12009
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 28-07-2021
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5005.4.4
Abstract: Dipluridae represent a small Mygalomorphae family of South American origin, the family includes two subfamilies Diplurinae and Masteriinae although the placement of the latter in Dipluridae is still under debate. The family has a predominantly South American distribution although the genus Masteria L. Koch, 1873 presents an interesting distribution with representatives found in Fiji, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Guinea and Australia. This genus is erse at the species level in tropical South America and the Caribbean but no species have been described from Ecuador to date. Ongoing field work as part of the BIO-GEEC Project—a consortium established by several Ecuadorian and German institutions—has resulted in the discovery of several new species from both lowlands and highland habitats in Ecuador. Herein we described seven new species of Masteria from Ecuador: M. jatunsacha n. sp. (male) M. machay n. sp. (female) M. chalupas n. sp. (male) M. papallacta n. sp. (male and female) M. pasochoa n. sp. (male and female) M. lasdamas n. sp. (male) and M. otongachi n. sp. (male). The type species of the genus, Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873 from Fiji, is redescribed and re-illustrated, from the original type specimen.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-06-2023
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS202306.0212.V1
Abstract: The location of Israel at the junction of three continents leads to a unique faunal combination of Palearctic and Afrotropic zoogeographic origins. Following systematic revisions over the past sixty years and the discovery of new species, the only available key to the pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) of Israel (Beier 1963) has become outdated. We provide here an up-to-date checklist of the pseudoscorpion species of Israel including distribution maps, and the first illustrated identification key of the Israeli fauna based on morphological characters. Prior to our study this fauna comprised twelve families, 26 genera and 52 morphospecies, including several “subspecies”. We increase this number and list 61 pseudoscorpion morphospecies that belong to 28 genera and fourteen families. Most species are Palearctic and Mediterranean, and only a few are Afrotropic. Two families new to Israel are reported here for the first time: Syarinidae and Cheiridiidae. Both families are cosmopolitan and have representatives in the Mediterranean region. The putative new species are presented here at a genus level and will be described separately elsewhere.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-05-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JZO.13070
Abstract: Spiders have become a model group for sexual selection and mating system studies, but our understanding of courtship behavior in the group is heavily biased towards the infraorder Araneomorphae (‘modern’ spiders, such as orb weavers, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, crab spiders and many more). In the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas, trapdoor spiders, funnel‐web spiders and relatives), only a few descriptions of courtship are available and recent developments in the phylogenetics of the group offer an opportunity to remap and investigate the evolution of mating behaviors. Using 81 trials filmed in captivity, we report on the courtship behaviors of the iconic Sydney funnel‐web spider (Atracidae: Atrax robustus ), which belongs to a large clade of biologically understudied mygalomorphs. Thirteen distinct behaviors are described for males, out of which at least two seem new to mygalomorphs, while four female behaviors are described. Moreover, the sequences of male behaviors are presented for when they come into contact with females inside or outside of their burrows. The mating positions of the pair, including details of how males use their legs and clasping spurs to grasp the females, are also presented. We discuss our results in a modern phylogenetic context, filling a gap in the understanding of sexual selection in the Mygalomorphae where such studies are rare and biased towards tarantulas. Finally, we attempt to consolidate descriptions of potentially homologous behaviors from several families in the group and offer insights into the evolution of cannibalism, male clasping spurs and female catalepsis (quiescence while mating).
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-08-2020
DOI: 10.1093/BIOLINNEAN/BLAA078
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.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2022.107495
Abstract: The tropical forests of the Western Ghats (WG) of India are considered 'refugia' harbouring highly erse and endemic taxa but these refugia are under immense anthropogenic pressure. Most phylogenetic studies have explained ersity patterns across the WG using vertebrates, however, the processes impacting the highly endemic invertebrate fauna are still poorly understood. Here we investigate the evolutionary history of an ancient and widespread arachnid lineage (Pseudoscorpiones: Chthoniidae: Tyrannochthoniini) in the WG through a variety of biogeographical and ersification analyses, including sequence data from three markers for 45 terminals from the WG and 22 from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Australasia and the Neotropics. Our results show that WG Tyrannochthoniini are rendered paraphyletic by African taxa, a result consistent with continental drift. WG Tyrannochthoniini are further split into two major clades, a southern WG clade and an African-central WG clade, due to vicariance along a major biogeographical barrier, the Palghat Gap. Central WG pseudoscorpions erged from their African relatives at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, coinciding with the separation of India from Africa. Despite ancient vicariance, six dispersal events occurred across the Palghat Gap, beginning in the Early Cretaceous as India was rafting towards Southeast Asia and ending by the early Miocene, implying that the Palghat Gap became impermeable to dispersal for these humid-adapted organisms during Miocene aridification. Although the ancestor of WG Tyrannochthoniini originated in lowland WG forests, three dispersal events into high montane Shola forests occurred most likely as a result of Late Cretaceous orogenesis and Neogene uplift, allowing lineages to occupy niches at higher elevations. An exponentially declining ersification rate, typical of older lineages, supports the 'museum' model of ersification for WG Tyrannochthoniini. Our study sheds light on the historical biogeography of relictual soil-arthropods in the WG and emphasises the role of WG forest refugia in preserving ancient invertebrate bio ersity.
Publisher: American Arachnological Society
Date: 08-2009
DOI: 10.1636/A08-35.1
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 16-08-2022
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.13898
Abstract: Rainforest canopies, home to one of the most complex and erse terrestrial arthropod communities, are threatened by conversion of rainforest into agricultural production systems. However, little is known about how predatory arthropod communities respond to such conversion. To address this, we compared canopy spider (Araneae) communities from lowland rainforest with those from three agricultural systems in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, i.e., jungle rubber (rubber agroforest) and monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm. Using canopy fogging, we collected 10,676 spider specimens belonging to 36 families and 445 morphospecies. The four most abundant families (Salticidae N = 2,043, Oonopidae N = 1,878, Theridiidae N = 1,533 and Clubionidae N = 1,188) together comprised 62.2% of total in iduals, while the four most speciose families, Salticidae (S = 87), Theridiidae (S = 83), Araneidae (S = 48) and Thomisidae (S = 39), contained 57.8% of all morphospecies identified. In lowland rainforest, average abundance, biomass and species richness of canopy spiders was at least twice as high as in rubber or oil palm plantations, with jungle rubber showing similar abundances as rainforest, and intermediate biomass and richness. Community composition of spiders was similar in rainforest and jungle rubber, but differed from rubber and oil palm, which also differed from each other. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that canopy openness, aboveground tree biomass and tree density together explained 18.2% of the variation in spider communities at family level. On a morphospecies level, vascular plant species richness and tree density significantly affected the community composition but explained only 6.8% of the variance. While abundance, biomass and ersity of spiders declined strongly with the conversion of rainforest into monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm, we also found that a large proportion of the rainforest spider community can thrive in extensive agroforestry systems such as jungle rubber. Despite being very different from rainforest, the canopy spider communities in rubber and oil palm plantations may still play a vital role in the biological control of canopy herbivore species, thus contributing important ecosystem services. The components of tree and palm canopy structure identified as major determinants of canopy spider communities may aid in decision-making processes toward establishing cash-crop plantation management systems which foster herbivore control by spiders.
Publisher: Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle
Date: 31-05-2022
DOI: 10.5852/EJT.2022.821.1801
Abstract: The pseudoscorpion (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) fauna of mainland Ecuador, excluding the Galápagos Islands, is poorly known, with only 41 described species in 9 families. The family Syarinidae has a pantropical distribution and presently comprises ca 120 species in 17 valid genera that are found in leaf litter and subterranean habitats, mostly in tropical and subtropical climates. Four syarinid species have been recorded from Ecuador, including the Galápagos, in two widespread genera, Ideobisium and Ideoblothrus, but field collections suggest that these pseudoscorpions are common and abundant in all forest systems across the country. Here, we review field collections of syarinids from mainland Ecuador and describe five new species in these genera: Ideobisium kichwa sp. nov. (Napo Province, Colonso Chalupas Natural Reserve), I. sonqo sp. nov. (Napo Province, Colonso Chalupas Natural Reserve), I. susanae sp. nov. (Napo Province, Jatun Sacha Natural Reserve), Ideoblothrus nadineae sp. nov. (Napo Province, Colonso Chalupas Natural Reserve) and I. safinai sp. nov. (Pichincha Province, Otongachi Natural Reserve) based on morphology. These species seem to have narrow distributions and we therefore restrict the ranges of two species previously recorded from Ecuador (Ideobisium crassimanum Balzan, 1892 and Ideoblothrus costaricensis (Beier, 1931)) to their countries of origin, which is Costa Rica and Venezuela, respectively.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 18-06-2019
Abstract: The Australian fauna of Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) is highly erse and includes iconic lineages such as the peacock spiders (genus Maratus Karsch, 1878) that are well-known for their vibrant colours and fascinating behaviours. Many other jumping spiders in Australia are also highly attractive but almost nothing is known about their ersity and taxonomic identity. Here, we describe and illustrate eight species of ‘brushed’ jumping spiders (genus Jotus L. Koch, 1881). Three of these were described more than 140 years ago and are redescribed and illustrated here: Jotusauripes L. Koch, 1881, J.braccatus L. Koch, 1881 and J.minutus L. Koch, 1881. Five new species are also described: Jotusalbimanus sp. nov. , J.fortiniae sp. nov. , J.karllagerfeldi sp. nov. , Jotusmoonensis sp. nov. , and J.newtoni sp. nov. While Jotus is a erse and frequently observed genus in Australia, specimens are strangely rare in museum collections. A comprehensive revisionary framework including targeted field work and molecular methods will be required to fully document this charismatic and attractive group of spiders.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2009
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 28-05-2021
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4979.1.14
Abstract: Zootaxa published more than a thousand papers on Araneae from 2002 to the present, including descriptions of 3,833 new spider species and 177 new genera. Here we summarise the key contributions of Zootaxa to our current knowledge of global spider ersity. We provide a historical account of the researchers that have actively participated as editors, and recognize the more than 1,000 reviewers without whom none of this would have been possible. We conduct a simple analysis of the contributions by authors and geographic region, which allows us to uncover some of the underlying trends in current spider taxonomy. In addition, we examine some of the milestones in twenty years of spider systematic research in Zootaxa. Finally, we discuss future prospects of spider taxonomy and the role that Zootaxa and its younger sister journal Megataxa will play in it. We would like to dedicate this contribution to the memory of Norman I. Platnick, a crucial figure in the advancement of spider systematics.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-10-2023
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 15-04-2013
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3637.5.2
Abstract: Two new species of Mouse Spiders, genus Missulena, from the Pilbara region in Western Australia are described based on morphological features of males. Missulena faulderi sp. nov. and Missulena langlandsi sp. nov. are currently known from a small area in the southern Pilbara only. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence ergence failed in clearly delimiting species in Missulena, but provided a useful, independent line of evidence for taxonomic work in addition to morphology.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 03-04-2018
Abstract: The fauna of whip spiders (Amblypygi) in Western Africa is poorly known but probably erse. Here, I describe the new species Charinuskakum sp. n. based on female morphology, and accompanied by DNA sequence data. The species is small and differs from other African species of Charinus in the low number of pseudosegments on leg IV, female genital features, spination patterns of the pedipalp, and small body size. It was collected from wet tropical rainforest in Kakum National Park, Ghana and is only the fourth species of Charinus to be recorded from the highly erse Western African bio ersity hotspot. With a total body length of not even 6 mm it is also one of the smallest whip spiders in the world.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-05-2022
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAC034
Abstract: Short-tailed whipscorpions are a small arachnid order with 379 described species from (sub)tropical regions of the world. The order has a fragmentary fossil record but has left a rich, albeit hitherto undocumented, fossil legacy in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, also called Burmese amber or Burmite. Here, we review a large series of schizomids from this type of amber and propose four new genera for seven new species. In addition, we include a short revision of all schizomid genera based on 14 morphological characters. Although none of the fossils can be assigned to Recent genera, they resemble the modern fauna in general morphology and highlight relative morphological stasis in this arachnid order. The fossils show a general trend towards eye reduction, but some of the specimens retain corneate eyes. Comparative data suggest affinities of the fossils with the Recent Old World fauna rather than American relatives. Furthermore, the fossils provide evidence for a Gondwanan origin of the Burma Terrane. Overall, the data suggest a high ersity at both species and genus levels for Burmese amber schizomids. We discuss potential reasons for this richness that will probably necessitate the description of additional genera and species in future studies.
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 22-12-2017
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 06-01-2017
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 14-12-2022
Abstract: Madagascar is amongst the “hottest” bio ersity hotspots with extreme levels of ersity and endemism. Throughout the last decades, there has been substantial progress in documenting the Malagasy invertebrate fauna but no study has ever focused on pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) in the arachnid fauna. Here we review the Malagasy fauna of Hercules pseudoscorpions (family Feaellidae), which are common in soil habitats of arid biomes across Madagascar. Using morphology and molecular data, we recover three reciprocally monophyletic clades that correspond to three new genera in well-defined biogeographical regions and identify twelve new species: Antsiarananaella gen. nov. for Antsirananaella lorenzorum sp. nov. , Antsiarananaella leniae sp. nov. , Antsiarananaella faulstichi sp. nov. and Antsiarananaella marlae sp. nov. Mahajanganella gen. nov. for Mahajanganella fridakahloae sp. nov. , Mahajanganella heraclis sp. nov. and Mahajanganella schwarzeneggeri sp. nov. Toliaranella gen. nov. for Toliaranella fisheri sp. nov. , Toliaranella griswoldi sp. nov. , Toliaranella mahnerti sp. nov. , Toliaranella meridionalis sp. nov. and Toliaranella pumila sp. nov. Local endemism in this fauna is high and most species have small distributions, ranging from 20 km to 350 km linearly. Genetic distances between populations are also high, suggesting restricted dispersal or selection against dispersal in this fauna. Species’ ranges seem to be delimited by geological barriers including volcanic fields (Ambre-Bobaomby in the north of Madagascar), mountain ranges (foothills of the Central Highland Plateau), and rivers (Manankolana, Mandrare, Manombo and Onilahy Rivers and their anabranches), but mainly by different biome habitats. Overall, Madagascar emerges as a global “hotspot” of feaellid radiation and these animals may be used in future studies to test biogeographical hypotheses across xeric biomes on this island.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-2018
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 19-11-2018
DOI: 10.3897/ZOOKEYS.797.29364
Abstract: Three species from the family Oonopidae are newly described from leaf litter habitats in Sumatra, Indonesia based on male and female morphology. All three species belong to the genus Aposphragisma Thoma, 2014: Aposphragismaglobosum sp. n. , Aposphragismajambi sp. n. , and Aposphragismasumatra sp. n.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1002/BES2.1668
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 17-02-2021
DOI: 10.22541/AU.161359071.17741545/V1
Abstract: Quarry operations can have a negative impact on invertebrate bio ersity and threaten local species through a variety of factors, such as habitat loss and pollution. Quarrying is a common practice in Ghana, but little is known about its effects on local insect ersity and abundance. In this study, the relationship between quarry operations and insect communities on an active quarry site, the Mowire quarry site in the Ashanti region of Ghana was assessed. Transect counts, aerial nets, pitfall traps, Flight interception traps (FIT) and fruit baiting (Charaxes) traps were employed to assess arthropod assemblage, specifically insects as a surrogate for arthropod communities. A total of 2,902 in idual insects belonging to 56 families and eleven orders were recorded in all transect points across the three s ling zones. Quarry operations had little impact on the relative abundance (N = 974) of insects at Transect point (TP) 400m in the Eastern Zone (EZ), species richness (S = 49) and the highest abundance (N = 302) corresponding with high ersity of flowering plants at this site that are a food source for pollinators and herbivorous insects. Quarry operations negatively affected the relative abundance (N= 541) and richness (S = 37) of insects in the Western zone (WZ), significantly affecting TP 400m in the WZ, corresponding to the low abundance of food plant as well as volumes of dust that settle at the WZ after every blast, as dust travels in the direction of this zone. It is recommended that interventions to prevent bio ersity habitat loss in and around the quarry operational site should focus on policies that ensure and enforce the establishment of a dust control mechanism system in the extractive industry.
Publisher: American Arachnological Society
Date: 23-02-2021
DOI: 10.1636/JOA-S-20-017
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 19-11-2020
DOI: 10.3897/ZSE.96.56885
Abstract: The Feaellidae Ellingsen, 1906 is a small but ancient family of pseudoscorpions with 20 extant species across the Southern Hemisphere, and fossils from the Lower Cretaceous of Myanmar and the Eocoene of Europe. Here, we describe and illustrate Feaella (Tetrafeaella) obscura sp. nov. as a new species from the Mal es archipelago in the Indian Ocean. This is the first record of Feaella from a young oceanic island and may indicate a potential for long-distance dispersal in this lineage. We also elevate Feaella (T.) capensis nana Beier, 1966 to full species rank as F. (T.) nana Beier, 1966 and provide an identification key to the members of the subgenus Feaella (Tetrafeaella), thereby facilitating the identification of species.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 29-01-2019
DOI: 10.3897/ZOOKEYS.820.29363
Abstract: Four new species of armoured spiders from Sumatra, Indonesia are described. Three species are described in the genus Ablemma Roewer, 1963 and one species in the genus Brignoliella Shear, 1978 Ablemmaandriana sp. n. (male), Ablemmacontrita sp. n. (male and female), Ablemmakelinci sp. n. (male) and Brignoliellapatmae sp. n. (male and female). The female of Ablemmasingalang Lehtinen, 1981 is described here for the first time. The first record of Brignoliella for Sumatra is also presented.
No related grants have been discovered for Danilo Harms.