Erranticosa, a New Genus of Asian Wolf Spiders with Note on its Systematics
Within the wolf spider family Lycosidae, the genera Lycosa and Hogna are considered paraphyletic, having long been used as wastebasket taxa for species with uncertain systematic placement. In this study, we discuss the results of a preliminary molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Lycosinae and resolve the long-standing taxonomic ambiguity surrounding the East Asian species Lycosa coelestis. Using an integrative approach that combines morphological and molecular data, we demonstrate that this species is far related from both Lycosa and Hogna, and we establish a new monotypic genus, Erranticosa gen. nov., to accommodate it. Additionally, we reject the synonymy of another species, Lycosa subcoelestis, transferring it the genus Trochosa. Our findings highlight the need for comprehensive integrative revisions of the Asian wolf spider taxa, many of which may be overlooked or misclassified.
Read the full article, here