Life Sciences Commons^™

Conservation Systematics Of The Shield-Backed Trapdoor Spiders Of The Nigrum-Group (Mygalomorphae, Idiopidae, Idiosoma): Integrative Taxonomy Reveals A Diverse And Threatened Fauna From South-Western Australia, Michael G. Rix, Joel J. Huey, Steven J.B. Cooper, Andrew D. Austin, Mark S. Harvey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aganippine shield-backed trapdoor spiders of the monophyletic nigrum-group of Idiosoma Ausserer s. l. are revised, and 15 new species are described from Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia: I. arenaceum Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. corrugatum Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. clypeatum Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. dandaragan Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. formosum Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. gardneri Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. gutharuka Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. incomptum Rix & Harvey, sp. n., I. intermedium Rix …

Conservation Systematics Of The Shield-Backed Trapdoor Spiders Of The Nigrum-Group (Mygalomorphae, Idiopidae, Idiosoma): Integrative Taxonomy Reveals A Diverse And Threatened Fauna From South-Western Australia [Dataset], Michael G. Rix, Joel Huey, Steven J.B. Cooper, Andrew D. Austin, Mark S. Harvey

Research Datasets

Supplementary material from: Rix MG, Huey JA, Cooper SJB, Austin AD, Harvey MS (2018) Conservation systematics of the shield-backed trapdoor spiders of the nigrum-group (Mygalomorphae, Idiopidae, Idiosoma): integrative taxonomy reveals a diverse and threatened fauna from south-western Australia. ZooKeys 756: 1-121. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.756.24397

Supplementary material 1: Atlas of morphology : Explanation note: Atlas of morphology for shield-backed trapdoor spiders of the Idiosoma nigrum-group, illustrating a representative selection of male specimens for each species, in five standard views.

Supplementary material 2: GenBank data : Explanation note: Spreadsheet of specimens sequenced for the molecular analyses, with associated collection data and GenBank accession numbers. …

Evolution, Systematics & Geographic Parthenogenesis Of Ilyodromus (Crustacea, Ostracoda), Rylan James Shearn

Theses

Most multicellular organisms reproduce sexually at some point in their life cycle. This is paradoxical because being asexual is theoretically far more advantageous. Asexual organisms do not need to find and court new mates, they reproduce at a faster rate, and with no males, all members of the population contribute toward population growth rate. With over 20, often mutually exclusive hypotheses, this paradox resists a synthesised explanation, and continues to represent one of the largest gaps in our understanding of fundamental evolutionary theory. Clearly, more real world studies are required that document the selective mechanisms underlying differences in evolutionary fitness …

A New Species Of Sphaerowithius (Pseudoscorpiones, Withiidae) From Namibia, Mark S. Harvey, V. Menhert

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A new species of Sphaerowithius Mahnert, 1988, S. ansieae sp. n., is described from specimens collected in caves in northern Namibia. The specimens show some slight modifications to an obligate cavernicolous existence including small eyes and long, slender pedipalps.

Four New Mouse Spider Species (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Actinopodidae, Missulena) From Western Australia, Laura T. Miglio, Danilo Harms, Volker W. Framenau, Mark S. Harvey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Four new species of the Mouse Spider genus Missulena Walckenaer, 1805 (family Actinopodidae) are described from Western Australia based on morphological features of adult males. Missulena leniae sp. n. (from the Carnarvon and Yalgoo biogeographic regions), Missulena mainae sp. n. (Carnarvon), Missulena melissae sp. n. (Pilbara) and Missulena pinguipes sp. n. (Mallee) represent a broad spectrum of morphological diversity found in this genus and differ from other congeners by details of the male copulatory bulb, colour patterns, eye sizes, leg morphology and leg spination. Two of the species, M. pinguipes sp. n. and M. mainae sp. n., are characterised by …

Identification Of Unknowns Within A Probabilistic System: The Diagnostic Value Of Attributes, D W. Goodall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Using a data base underpinned by probability considerations in which a variety of attributes, some of which may be quantitative, are recorded for a number of “operational taxonomic units” (OTUs), a key system is described by which an unnamed specimen may quickly be identified. The concept of “diagnostic power” is introduced, by which each attribute is evaluated in terms of its potential contribution to identifying the unnamed specimen. Besides coverage of different types of attributes and the introduction of “diagnostic power”, the system has the advantages of incorporating multiple values of an attribute for each OTU and offering short-cuts to …

A New Troglobitic Ideoroncid Pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpiones: Ideoroncidae) From Southern Africa, Mark S. Harvey, Gerhard Du Preez

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The first blind African species of Ideoroncidae is described from a cave in northwestern Botswana, Botswanoncus ellisi, representing a new genus and a new species. Apart from the complete lack of eyes, it is also unusual in having the lowest recorded number of trichobothria of any adult ideoroncid with 17 on the fixed finger and nine on the movable finger.

A Review And Redescription Of The Cosmopolitan Pseudoscorpion Chelifer Cancroides (Pseudoscorpiones: Cheliferidae), Mark S. Harvey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The taxonomy of the cheliferid pseudoscorpion genus Chelifer Geoffroy 1762 is reviewed with a single cosmopolitan species, Chelifer cancroides (Linnaeus 1758), with the subspecies C. cancroides orientalis Morikawa 1954 from Japan newly synonymised with C. cancroides. Adults and the final two nymphal stages (tritonymph and deutonymph) are redescribed based on numerous specimens from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. The large size variation evident in the samples is documented. The latero-ventral process of the tarsal claws characteristically found in adults (except leg I of the male) is lacking in nymphs, a pattern that is also confirmed in the genera Lissochelifer …

Systematics And Biogeography Of The Australian Burrowing Freshwater Crayfish Genus Engaewa Riekk (Decapoda: Parastacidae), Quinton Burnham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The overall aim of this study was to explore the systematics and biogeographic patterns of the freshwater crayfish genus Engaewa Riek, a strongly burrowing freshwater crayfish restricted to the coastal corner of south-western Australia (SWA). The genus Engaewa is a Gondwanan relict with great potential as a marker of historical processes, due to its high habitat specificity and low dispersal ability. This study comprises an extensive taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the genus Engaewa (using both molecular and morphological data), a detailed study of its distribution and uses the knowledge gained to explore biogeographic patterns in the biodiversity hotspot of …

A New Species Of Neocauculus (Acari: Prostigmata: Caeculidae) From Barrow Island, Western Australia, With A Checklist Of World Cauculidae, Christopher Taylor, Nihara Gunawardene, Adrianne C. Kinnear

Research outputs 2013

Neocaeculus imperfectus new species is described from material collected on Barrow Island, Western Australia. Keys to genera and Australasian species of Caeculidae are provided, and the relationship between the genera Neocaeculus and Microcaeculus is discussed. A checklist of species for Caeculidae is provided.