Systematics and evolutionary history of raft and nursery‐web spiders (Araneae: Dolomedidae and Pisauridae)

Abstract Pisauridae are a global and heterogeneous assemblage of spider genera with diverse morphologies and lifestyles. So far, the monophyly of Pisauridae and the inclusion of fishing spiders ( Dolomedes ) in this family have not been thoroughly tested. Here, we amend the systematics and classification of these lineages within a UCE phylogenomic framework and through a detailed morphological reappraisal. For estimations of their evolutionary age, we perform and compare outcomes from two divergence estimation approaches, an a posteriori likelihood, and an a priori Bayesian. Phylogenies reject the monophyly of both Pisauridae and Dolomedes : (1) Focal Clade I groups true Pisauridae genera including Pisaura ; (2) Focal Clade II contains Blandinia and is sister to Trechaleidae and Lycosidae; (3) Focal Clade III groups Dolomedes , Megadolomedes , and Ornodolomedes , and is sister to Blandinia , Trechaleidae, and Lycosidae. We therefore propose to delimit Pisauridae by removing Dolomedidae rank resurrected (including Dolomedes , Bradystichus , Megadolomedes , Caledomedes , Mangromedes , Ornodolomedes , and Tasmomedes ) and Blandinia incertae sedis . Likelihood and Bayesian time calibration approaches yield comparable divergence estimations: Pisauridae origin is estimated at 29–40 Ma; Blandinia 21–34 Ma; Dolomedidae 10–17 Ma; Dolomedes 9–16 Ma. Reconstructions suggest that the evolution of terrestrial and web‐building lifestyles from semi‐aquatic ancestors in Pisauridae coincided with cooling and drying climates during the mid‐Miocene, but this was not the case in the few recent cases of terrestrialization in Dolomedes species. This historic reconstruction illustrates how climatic changes, or rapid radiation, can drive lifestyle diversification.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zoologica Scripta
Published
2025-02-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12719
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
9.09

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article

Systematics and evolutionary history of raft and nursery‐web spiders (Araneae: Dolomedidae and Pisauridae)

Ren‐Chung Cheng, Matjaž Kuntner, Eileen A. Hebets, Luis N. Piacentini et al.
5 citations
Zoologica Scripta
Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
9.09
article

Systematics and evolutionary history of raft and nursery‐web spiders (Araneae: Dolomedidae and Pisauridae)

Ren‐Chung Cheng, Matjaž Kuntner, Eileen A. Hebets, Luis N. Piacentini, Mark S. Harvey, Christina J. Painting, Ho Yin Yip, Arnaud Henrard, Akio Tanikawa, Yuya Suzuki, Kuang‐Ping Yu, Cor J. Vink, Charles R. Haddad, Brogan L. Pett
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Abstract Pisauridae are a global and heterogeneous assemblage of spider genera with diverse morphologies and lifestyles. So far, the monophyly of Pisauridae and the inclusion of fishing spiders ( Dolomedes ) in this family have not been thoroughly tested. Here, we amend the systematics and classification of these lineages within a UCE phylogenomic framework and through a detailed morphological reappraisal. For estimations of their evolutionary age, we perform and compare outcomes from two divergence estimation approaches, an a posteriori likelihood, and an a priori Bayesian. Phylogenies reject the monophyly of both Pisauridae and Dolomedes : (1) Focal Clade I groups true Pisauridae genera including Pisaura ; (2) Focal Clade II contains Blandinia and is sister to Trechaleidae and Lycosidae; (3) Focal Clade III groups Dolomedes , Megadolomedes , and Ornodolomedes , and is sister to Blandinia , Trechaleidae, and Lycosidae. We therefore propose to delimit Pisauridae by removing Dolomedidae rank resurrected (including Dolomedes , Bradystichus , Megadolomedes , Caledomedes , Mangromedes , Ornodolomedes , and Tasmomedes ) and Blandinia incertae sedis . Likelihood and Bayesian time calibration approaches yield comparable divergence estimations: Pisauridae origin is estimated at 29–40 Ma; Blandinia 21–34 Ma; Dolomedidae 10–17 Ma; Dolomedes 9–16 Ma. Reconstructions suggest that the evolution of terrestrial and web‐building lifestyles from semi‐aquatic ancestors in Pisauridae coincided with cooling and drying climates during the mid‐Miocene, but this was not the case in the few recent cases of terrestrialization in Dolomedes species. This historic reconstruction illustrates how climatic changes, or rapid radiation, can drive lifestyle diversification.

Zoologica ScriptaVol. 54(3)
Smithsonian Institution (US), University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US), Royal Museum for Central Africa (BE), Australian Museum (AU), National Museum of Natural History (US), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), University of Ljubljana (SI), National Chung Hsing University (TW), The University of Western Australia (AU), Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SI), Lincoln University (NZ), University of Exeter (GB), University of the Free State (ZA), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HK), Tokushima Prefectural Museum (JP), Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum (AR), Western Australian Museum (AU), National Institute of Biology (SI), Brain Research New Zealand (NZ), Te Pūnaha Matatini, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, University of Waikato (NZ), The University of Tokyo (JP), Hubei University (CN)
Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
9.09
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