Spiders in Thailand (SIT) via spiderthailand.info: Thailand spider data retrieval system for geographical occurrence and photographic identification.

Background: High biodiversity in the tropics is good for ecosystem services; however, challenges in taxonomy and identification usually come from such high biodiversity. Spiders are no exception to the challenges. Identifying spiders in tropical places like Thailand is difficult and time consuming. To reduce the difficulty of identifying Thai spiders, a data retrieval system for geographical occurrence and photographic identification was conducted to deploy on an online platform, Spiders in Thailand (SIT) via the website "spiderthailand.info". This allows professional arachnologists and amateur spider lovers to visit and check the geographical distribution of Thai spiders and to quickly access pictures for comparative photographic identification. To facilitate Thai spider identification, there were two parts, the database and the website, which are connected to each other. Data of Thai spiders were extracted from the World Spider Catalog to build a database comprising geographical occurrence and pictures of spider species in Thailand. The database was then linked with the website to display data. New information: The dataset of pictures and illustrations extracted from taxonomic literature of the World Spider Catalog were included in the database for connecting with the online platform, Spiders in Thailand (SIT) via the website "spiderthailand.info" which facilitated access to pictures and illustrations, expediting the identification of Thai spider specimens. Geographical occurrences of Thai spiders consisted of 1419 records belonging to 670 species of 228 genera and 50 families. Amongst those, 461 species from 133 genera of 41 families were distributed only in Thailand. Around Thailand, 756 geographical localities were reported for spider occurrences. From 76 provinces and one additional special administrative area (Bangkok), 58 provinces showed occurrence records of spiders and 18 provinces showed non-occurrence records. Those provinces of non-occurrence records of spiders were Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Chai Nat, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Nonthaburi, Phayao, Phichit, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Si Sa Ket, Sing Buri, Uthai Thani and Yasothon. Most spiders were reported from Chiang Mai Province.

Comprehensive treatise of Hevansia and three new genera Jenniferia, Parahevansia and Polystromomyces on spiders in Cordycipitaceae from Thailand.

Collections of pathogenic fungi found on spiders from Thailand were selected for a detailed taxonomic study. Morphological comparison and phylogenetic analyses of the combined ITS, LSU, tef1, rpb1 and rpb2 sequence data indicated that these specimens formed new independent lineages within the Cordycipitaceae, containing two new genera occurring on spiders, i.e. Jenniferia gen. nov. and Polystromomyces gen. nov. Two new species in Jenniferia, J.griseocinerea sp. nov. and J.thomisidarum sp. nov., are described. Two strains, NHJ 03510 and BCC 2191, initially named as Akanthomycescinereus (Hevansiacinerea), were shown to be part of Jenniferia. By including sequences of putative Hevansia species from GenBank, we also revealed Parahevansia as a new genus with the ex-type strain NHJ 666.01 of Pa.koratensis, accommodating specimens previously named as Akanthomyceskoratensis (Hevansiakoratensis). One species of Polystromomyces, Po.araneae sp. nov., is described. We established an asexual-sexual morph connection for Hevansianovoguineensis (Cordycipitaceae) with ex-type CBS 610.80 and proposed a new species, H.minuta sp. nov. Based on characteristics of the sexual morph, Hevansia and Polystromomyces share phenotypic traits by producing stipitate ascoma with fertile terminal heads; however, they differ in the shape and colour of the stipes. Meanwhile, Jenniferia produces non-stipitate ascoma with aggregated superficial perithecia forming a cushion. A new morphology of ascospores in Jenniferia is described, illustrated and compared with other species in Cordycipitaceae.

First records and three new species of the family Symphytognathidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Thailand, and the circumscription of the genus Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995.

The family Symphytognathidae is reported from Thailand for the first time. Three new species: Anapistula choojaiae sp. nov., Crassignatha seeliam sp. nov., and Crassignatha seedam sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Distribution is expanded and additional morphological data are reported for Patu shiluensis Lin & Li, 2009. Specimens were collected in Thailand between July and August 2018. The newly described species were found in the north mountainous region of Chiang Mai, and Patu shiluensis was collected in the coastal region of Phuket. DNA sequences are provided for all the species here studied. The relations of these symphytognathid species were tested using previously published phylogenetic analyses on micro orb-weavers. Also, we used micro CT analysis to build 3D models of the male genitalia and somatic characters of two species of Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995. The molecular phylogeny and 3D models were used to discuss the taxonomy and circumscription of the currently valid symphytognathid genera, with focus on Crassignatha and Patu Marples, 1951. Based on this, three new combinations are suggested: Crassignatha bicorniventris (Lin & Li, 2009), comb. nov., Crassignatha quadriventris (Lin & Li, 2009), comb. nov., and Crassignatha spinathoraxi (Lin & Li, 2009), comb. nov. A new record of Crassignatha danaugirangensisMiller et al. 2014 is reported from Brunei.

Phylogeny- and morphology-based recognition of new species in the spider-parasitic genus Gibellula (Hypocreales, Cordycipitaceae) from Thailand.

Thailand is known to be a part of what is called the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, hosting a vast array of organisms across its diverse ecosystems. This is reflected by the increasing number of new species described over time, especially fungi. However, a very few fungal species from the specialized spider-parasitic genus Gibellula have ever been reported from this region. A survey of invertebrate-pathogenic fungi in Thailand over several decades has led to the discovery of a number of fungal specimens with affinities to this genus. Integration of morphological traits into multi-locus phylogenetic analysis uncovered four new species: G. cebrennini, G. fusiformispora, G. pigmentosinum, and G. scorpioides. All these appear to be exclusively linked with torrubiella-like sexual morphs with the presence of granulomanus-like asexual morph in G. pigmentosinum and G. cebrennini. A remarkably high host specificity of these new species towards their spider hosts was revealed, and for the first time, evidence is presented for manipulation of host behavior in G. scorpioides.

Mining data from legacy taxonomic literature and application for sampling spiders of the Teutamus group (Araneae; Liocranidae) in Southeast Asia.

Taxonomic literature contains information about virtually ever known species on Earth. In many cases, all that is known about a taxon is contained in this kind of literature, particularly for the most diverse and understudied groups. Taxonomic publications in the aggregate have documented a vast amount of specimen data. Among other things, these data constitute evidence of the existence of a particular taxon within a spatial and temporal context. When knowledge about a particular taxonomic group is rudimentary, investigators motivated to contribute new knowledge can use legacy records to guide them in their search for new specimens in the field. However, these legacy data are in the form of unstructured text, making it difficult to extract and analyze without a human interpreter. Here, we used a combination of semi-automatic tools to extract and categorize specimen data from taxonomic literature of one family of ground spiders (Liocranidae). We tested the application of these data on fieldwork optimization, using the relative abundance of adult specimens reported in literature as a proxy to find the best times and places for collecting the species (Teutamus politus) and its relatives (Teutamus group, TG) within Southeast Asia. Based on these analyses we decided to collect in three provinces in Thailand during the months of June and August. With our approach, we were able to collect more specimens of T. politus (188 specimens, 95 adults) than all the previous records in literature combined (102 specimens). Our approach was also effective for sampling other representatives of the TG, yielding at least one representative of every TG genus previously reported for Thailand. In total, our samples contributed 231 specimens (134 adults) to the 351 specimens previously reported in the literature for this country. Our results exemplify one application of mined literature data that allows investigators to more efficiently allocate effort and resources for the study of neglected, endangered, or interesting taxa and geographic areas. Furthermore, the integrative workflow demonstrated here shares specimen data with global online resources like Plazi and GBIF, meaning that others can freely reuse these data and contribute to them in the future. The contributions of the present study represent an increase of more than 35% on the taxonomic coverage of the TG in GBIF based on the number of species. Also, our extracted data represents 72% of the occurrences now available through GBIF for the TG and more than 85% of occurrences of T. politus. Taxonomic literature is a key source of undigitized biodiversity data for taxonomic groups that are underrepresented in the current biodiversity data sphere. Mobilizing these data is key to understanding and protecting some of the less well-known domains of biodiversity.

Imperfect and askew: A review of asymmetric genitalia in araneomorph spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae).

Bilateral asymmetry in the genitalia is a rare but widely dispersed phenomenon in the animal tree of life. In arthropods, occurrences vary greatly from one group to another and there seems to be no common explanation for all the independent origins. In spiders, genital asymmetry appears to be especially rare. Most known species show almost perfectly symmetrical genitals with the right and left sides being mirror images of each other. However, some examples of asymmetric genitalia have been studied and many other reports are scattered in the taxonomic literature. Based on a broad literature survey, we found several species in thirteen families with evidence of genital asymmetry, mostly expressed only in females. Our review suggests that spider genital asymmetries, although rare, are more common than previously thought and taxonomic descriptions and illustrations are a useful but not entirely reliable tool for studying them. Here we also report on directional asymmetry in the liocranid spider Teutamus politus, the first known case of morphologically asymmetric male genitals in Entelegynae spiders. Generalities, evolution and categorization of asymmetry in spiders are further discussed.

Systematics, genetics, and biogeography of intertidal mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Andaman Sea and Strait of Malacca.

This study demonstrates for the first time the presence of marine-associated mites in the Andaman Sea and Strait of Malacca and reveals a relatively high diversity of these taxa with six species from two different families: Selenoribatidae and Fortuyniidae. Indopacifica, a new genus of Selenoribatidae, is described from Thailand and Malaysia, with two new species, Indopacifica pantai n. sp. and Indopacifica parva n. sp. The genus is characterized by the unique combination of following characters: lacking lamellar ridges, incomplete dorsosejugal suture, fourteen pairs of notogastral setae, and presence of epimeral foveae. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on 18S ribosomal RNA sequences clearly confirms the distinctness of the new genus Indopacifica and places it close to the genus Rhizophobates. The lack of molecular genetic data of possible relatives impedes a clear assessment, and hence, we emphasize the need for further combined approaches using morphological and molecular genetic sequence data. All species show wide distribution areas within this geographic region suggesting that these taxa are good dispersers despite their minute size and wingless body. Molecular genetic data demonstrate recent gene flow between far distant populations of I. pantai n. sp. from the coasts of Thailand and two islands of Malaysia and hence confirm this assumption. The seasonally changing surface currents within this geographic area may favor hydrochorous dispersal and hence genetic exchange. Nevertheless, morphometric data show a slight trend to morphological divergence among the studied populations, whereas this variation is suggested to be a result of genetic drift but also of habitat differences in one population of Alismobates pseudoreticulatus.

Insecticides alter prey choice of potential biocontrol agent Philodromus cespitum (Araneae, Philodromidae).

Even though pesticides can have various sublethal effects on behaviour of biocontrol agents, no study to date has investigated the effects of pesticides on the prey choice of generalist predators. Prey choice of generalist predators is among key factors determining the predation pressure they exert on pests, because it influences fitness of predators and consequently their densities and per capita capture rate. Here, we investigated the effect of Integro (a.i. methoxyfenozide) and SpinTor 480 Sc (a.i. spinosad) on prey choice and predatory activity of the spider Philodromus cespitum, which is known significantly to reduce hemipteran and dipteran pests in fruit orchards. We compared the prey preferences of philodromids between the psyllid pest Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) and beneficial Theridion sp. spiders in laboratory experiments. We found that both pesticides altered the prey preferences of philodromids. While the philodromids in a control treatment preferred theridiid spiders over the psyllid pest, philodromids in the pesticide treatments exhibited no significant prey preferences. The changes in prey preferences were caused by increased predation on the psyllids, while the predation on the theridiid remained similar. We suggest that the changes in prey preferences might theoretically be due to 1) impaired sensory systems, 2) altered taste, and/or 3) altered mobility. In combination with other studies finding reduced predation on fruit flies in P. cespitum after exposure to SpinTor, our results indicate that the sublethal effects of pesticides on predatory behaviour of generalist predators can depend on prey type and/or prey community composition.