Taxonomy and systematic of the Neotropical spider genus Acanthoctenus Keyserling, 1877 (Acanthocteninae, Ctenidae, Araneae)

Author(s)

Stephany Arizala

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2020-01-10

Examining board members

Daniele Polotow; Cristina Anne Rheims; João Vasconcellos Neto

• Advisor: Daniele Polotow

Abstract

The Neotropical genus Acanthoctenus Keyserling, 1877, type genus of the subfamily Acanthocteninae (Araneae, Ctenidae), are nocturnal spiders that do not produce webs to catch their prey. The genus is revised and thirteen species are recognized: Acanthoctenus spiniger Keyserling, 1877; A. spinipes Keyserling, 1877; A. dumicola Simon, 1906; A. gaujoni Simon, 1906; A. plebejus Simon, 1906; A. kollari (Reimoser, 1939) n. comb.; A. virginea (Kraus, 1955) sp. reval., n. comb.; A. remotus Chickering, 1960; A. alux n. sp.; A. chickeringi n. sp.; A. lamarrei n. sp.; A. manauara n. sp.; A. torotoro n. sp. Five new species are described: A. alux sp. nov. (feminino) from Guatemala; A. chickeringi sp. nov. (masculino feminino), and A. lamarrei sp. nov. (masculino) from Panama; A. manauara sp. nov. (masculino feminino) from Brazil; A. torotoro sp. nov. (masculino) from Bolivia. One species is synonymized: A. rubrotaeniatus, Mello-Leitão, 1947, with Enoploctenus cyclothorax (Bertkau, 1880). Acanthoctenus mammifer Mello-Leitão, 1939 is transferred to Viracucha Lehtinen, 1967. Two species are revalidated: A. dumicola, Simon 1906 and A. virginea (Kraus,1955). To support the genus redescription and further identification of the genus and its species, provide illustrations of male and female genitalia and habitus, measurements, and diagnostic characters. Also provide a distribution map for the specimens herein recorded and the description of the natural history of A. manauara sp. nov. The phylogenetic analyses are based on total evidence (morphological and molecular data), and tests the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Acanthoctenus with other spider groups. The data matrix comprises a total 74 terminal taxa, 96 morphological characters and 4244 bp. from fragments of six genes (COI, Actin, H3, 28S, 18S and 12S). The results of the maximum likehood and Bayesian inference analyses confirm the monophyly of Acanthoctenus, its inclusion in Acanthocteninae, and the phylogenetic relationships with the family Ctenidae, dismissing the phylogenetic relationship with other families (Psechridae and Zoropsidae) (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/17363-0 - Taxonomy and systematic phylogenetic of the neotropical spider genus Acanthoctenus Keyserling, 1877 (Acanthocteninae, Cteninae, Araneae)
• Grantee: Stephany Arizala Cobo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master