Contribution to the knowledge of the Biodiversity of neotropical spiders: emphasis on the taxonomy and systematics of the Argyrodinae subfamily (Araneae, Theridiidae)

• Grant number: 24/00365-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: August 01, 2024 - July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Everton Nei Lopes Rodrigues
• Grantee: Everton Nei Lopes Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Antonio Domingos Brescovit ; Ricardo Ott

Abstract

Taxonomy documents, describes, and organizes biological diversity, but an obstacle is the lack of taxonomic information, the so-called "taxonomic impediment", which is felt in many families of spiders. Theridiidae is one of the spider families with the largest number of species in the order Araneae. The family has a wide worldwide distribution, well known in the Neotropical Region and mainly in Brazil. They are known as "comb-foot spiders" due to the presence of serrated bristles on the comb-shaped tarsus of leg IV. The family includes black widows (Latrodectus) and "happy face" spiders (Theridion and Spintharus). The taxonomy of the group still requires studies due to the great diversity in the Neotropical Region. Theridiidae is divided into seven subfamilies: Anelosiminae, Argyrodinae, Hadrotarsinae, Latrodectinae, Pholcommatinae, Spintharinae and Theridiinae. The Argyrodinae subfamily is characterized by many kleptoparasitic species, however this strategy is still little studied here in the Neotropical Region. Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies with Neotropical Argyrodinae genera are few, making comparisons with other subfamilies difficult. This project aims to expand knowledge of the taxonomy and systematics of the Argyrodinae subfamily, aiming to describe new genera and species and redescribe, diagnose, illustrate genera and species already known with few taxonomic studies and provide new records of geographic distributions. We also intend to carry out a classic morphological and morphometric cladistic analysis, aiming to test the monophyly of Argyrodinae. The objective will be to define the limits of the subfamily more precisely by including more species from the Neotropical Region in the analysis, given that recent research has used few Neotropical representatives.Throughout the project, it will also be investigated whether morphological differences observed from morphometric analyzes can be considered diagnostic for the groups evaluated. (AU)