Molecular and morphological characterization of new species of hypogean Paradraculoides (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) from the arid Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Journal of Arachnology

Volume

46

Issue

3

First Page

507

Last Page

537

Publisher

American Arachnological Society

School

School of Science

Comments

Framenau, V. W., Hamilton, Z. R., Finston, T., Humphreys, G., Abrams, K. M., Huey, J. A., & Harvey, M. S. (2018). Molecular and morphological characterization of new species of hypogean Paradraculoides (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) from the arid Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia. The Journal of Arachnology, 46(3), 507-537. https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-17-101.1

Abstract

The Australian schizomid fauna consists of eight genera distributed across the northern half of the country, and are mostly restricted to rainforest or subterranean ecosystems. Several schizomid species have been previously described from the arid Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia, occurring in subterranean cavities that are accessible only by troglofauna sampling. We document the schizomids from subterranean habitats on the western edge of the Hamersley Range using morphological characters and sequence data from the genes COI, ITS2 rRNA, 12S rRNA and 28S rRNA. Several genetic clades were found to cluster geographically, consistent with the geomorphology of the region. Adult males were available for four clades (Paradraculoides affinis sp. nov., P. cochranus sp. nov., P. confusus sp. nov. and P. trinity sp. nov.), females only were present for two clades (P. catho sp. nov. and P. obrutus sp. nov.), and only a single juvenile was available for another clade (P. celatus sp. nov.). We hypothesize that each of these clades represent distinct species which are here named and described.

DOI

10.1636/JoA-S-17-101.1

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