PHYXELIDIDAE

Griswold, Charles E., Wood, Hannah Marie & Carmichael, Anthea D., 2012, The lace web spiders (Araneae, Phyxelididae) of Madagascar: phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomy, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (4), pp. 728-810 : 752

MADAGASCAR PHYXELIDIDAE :

GLOBAL RELATIONSHIPS

Phyxelidids were formerly considered as an example of multiple (perhaps three) clades that show independent relationships between Madagascar and tropical east Africa ( Griswold, 2000). The results of our molecular phylogenetic analysis, corroborated by a morphological synapomorphy, i.e. the rotation of the clasping spine on male metatarsus I from retrolateral to prolateral ( Figs 1 , 9D ), support the monophyly of the Malagasy phyxelidids, which are probably related to phyxelidids from eastern or southern Africa. This in turn implies a single invasion of Madagascar, not multiple invasions. Other spider examples of multiple Africa– Madagascar relationships, i.e. Cyatholipidae and Zorocratidae ( Griswold, 2000) , also deserve re-examination.

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Ambohima sublima male from Ambohimanga, CASENT9016199; inset shows metatarsus II prolateral clasping spine. Illustration by JS.

Figure 9. Habitus of Rahavavy. A, R. malagasyana, female from Andasibe, dorsal, CASENT9019982. B, C, R. ida, dorsal. B, female from Ranomafana, CASENT9016988. C, holotype male, CASENT9003423. D–F, R. fanivelona, male, Vohiparara, CASENT9016970. D, dorsal. E, ventral. F, cephalothorax, ventral. G–I, R. malagasyana. G, holotype female, dorsal. H, holotype female, venter of abdomen. I, male from Perinet, CASENT9016182, dorsal.