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Abstract Island archipelagos in the South Pacific have relatively high species endemism within the insect order Odonata, specifically damselflies. Nesobasis Selys, 1891, an endemic damselfly genus from Fiji, includes over 20 species, but a clear understanding of its evolutionary relationship to other damselflies in the region is lacking. Scientists have questioned the monophyly of Nesobasis due to variations within the genus leading to the establishment of three divisions provisionally named as: comosa-, erythrops- and longistyla- groups. However, Nesobasis has shown to be monophyletic in previous phylogenetic analyses. Using additional species in this study, we investigate the phylogenetic relationships between Nesobasis and other damselflies from the region, specifically the endemic Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 from the neighboring island archipelagos of Vanuatu. The relationship between these taxa has not yet been examined with molecular data. Five genes were used in a maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction and examined morphological data to determine the relationship between these genera. Our results recover three distinct clades overall with Vanuatubasis nested within Nesobasis (i.e., non-monophyletic). Vanuatubasis is sister to the longistyla and erythrops groups. The third group, comosa, was found sister to the clade of Vanuatubasis ( longistyla + erythrops ). As a result of these findings, we propose the new genus, Nikoulabasis gen. nov.
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Molecular phylogeny of pimoid spiders and the limits of Linyphiidae, with a reassessment of male palpal homologies (Araneae, Pimoidae)
We address the phylogenetic relationships of pimoid spiders (Pimoidae) using a standard target-gene approach with an extensive taxonomic sample, which includes representatives of the four currently recognized pimoid genera, 26 linyphiid genera, a sample of Physoglenidae, Cyatholipidae and one Tetragnathidae species. We test the monophyly of Pimoidae and Linyphiidae and explore the biogeographic history of the group. Nanoa Hormiga, Buckle and Scharff, 2005 and Pimoa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943 form a clade which is the sister group of a lineage that includes all Linyphiidae, Weintrauboa Hormiga, 2003 and Putaoa Hormiga and Tu, 2008. Weintrauboa, Putaoa, Pecado and Stemonyphantes form a clade (Stemonyphantinae) sister to all remaining linyphiids. We use the resulting optimal molecular phylogenetic tree to assess hypotheses on the male palp sclerite homologies of pimoids and linyphiids. Pimoidae is redelimited to only include Pimoa and Nanoa. We formalize the transfer from Pimoidae of the genera Weintrauboa and Putaoa to Linyphiidae, re-circumscribe the linyphiid subfamily Stemonyphantinae, and offer revised morphological diagnoses for Pimoidae and Linyphiidae.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1754289
- PAR ID:
- 10332652
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Zootaxa
- Volume:
- 5026
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1175-5326
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 71 to 101
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5026.1.3
