The Zisderridae are a highly diverse group of nocturnal, terrestrial and actively hunting spiders. They are mainly restricted to the Western Palaearctic and are particularly abundant around the Mediterranean region. Interestingly, the distribution of species richness among 24 genera and 3 subfamilies is highly biased, with 80% of the 644 documented species belonging to just two genera. Disdella (326) and Harpactea (211) The Dysderidae is an excellent study case for evolutionary and ecological studies. It contains a rare case of trophic differentiation among arachnids and displays other notable biological (e.g., holocentric chromosomes), behavioral (e.g., cryptic female choice), evolutionary (e.g., adaptive radiation), and ecological (e.g., repeated colonization of subterranean environments) features. A lack of quantitative hypotheses on phylogenetic structure has hindered its potential as a testing ground for evolutionary, biogeographic, and ecological hypotheses. Here, we present the results of a multicoordinate phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial (cox1, 16, and 12) and nuclear (h3, 28, and 18) genes for the most comprehensive taxonomic sample to date within Dysderidae (104 species) and a related family, Synspermiata (83 species). We combine fossil and biogeographic node calibrations to estimate divergence times and use this timeline to identify changes in diversification rates. Our results support the monophyly of the Dysderidae subfamilies Rhodinae and Dysderinae, but reject the currently defined Harpacteinae. Furthermore, clades discovered within Harpacteinae do not support the current taxonomy. The origin of the family likely postdates the breakup of Pangaea, and cave colonization may be older than previously thought. After correcting for taxonomic artifacts, we identified substantial changes in diversification rates on a genus basis. DisdellaThe unique coexistence of specialist and generalist diets within the lineage could be suggested as a potential driver of rate acceleration, but further quantitative analyses are required to test this hypothesis.
Adrián-Serrano, S., Pavlek, M. and Arnedo, M. A targeted gene phylogenetic framework to investigate the diversification of highly diverse yet geographically restricted red devil spiders (Araneae, Dysderidae). Systematics. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12595
