Barbara York Main’s research while affiliated with The University of Western Australia and other places
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Spiders of the nemesiid mygalomorph subfamily Anaminae are common in the Australasian region from rainforests to deserts. Using specimens from all 12 named genera, we evaluated anamine phylogeny and classification using a multi-locus molecular dataset. We combined newly obtained 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA and elongation factor 1 gamma (EF-1γ) sequences with an existing published dataset and further analysed an expanded mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, COI) and nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, Histone H3, EF-1γ) dataset. The resulting trees showed that most Australasian Anaminae formed a monophyletic group congruent with the tribe Anamini, but that the genus Stanwellia grouped with non-Australian exemplars. Molecular divergence dating revealed that the major Australian radiation of Anamini occurred during the Miocene, with multiple independent incursions from temperate habitats into the arid zone. New Zealand Stanwellia nested within a clade including otherwise Australian taxa, with divergence estimates for the entire genus between 8 and 38 Mya, suggesting that their presence in New Zealand is the result of transoceanic dispersal, rather than continental vicariance. The molecular phylogenies were reconciled with morphological data and used to stabilize the generic classification by recognizing Stanwellia, plus nine genera of Anamini, all of which are newly diagnosed.
We report the longest-lived spider documented to date. A 43-year-old, female Gaius villosus Rainbow, 1914 (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) has recently died during a long-term population study. This study was initiated by Barbara York Main at North Bungulla Reserve near Tammin, south-western Australia, in 1974. Annual monitoring of this species of burrowing, sedentary mygalomorph spider yielded not only this record-breaking discovery but also invaluable information for high-priority conservation taxa within a global biodiversity hotspot. We suggest that the life-styles of short-range endemics provide lessons for humanity and sustainable living in old stable landscapes.
The spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae) of the Cataxia bolganupensis-group from south-western Australia are revised, and six species are recognized: C. barrettae sp. nov., C. bolganupensis (Main, 1985), C. colesi sp. nov., C. melindae sp. nov., C. sandsorum sp. nov. and C. stirlingi (Main, 1985). All species exhibit extreme short-range endemism, with allopatric sky-island distributions in mesic montane habitats of the Stirling Range, Porongurup Range and Mount Manypeaks. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) and cytochrome b (CYB) sequences complements the morphological taxonomy, along with a key to species and detailed information on their distributions and habitat preferences. All six species are assessed as ‘endangered' using IUCN criteria, with the major threatening processes being the spread of the plant pathogenic fungus Phytophthora (causing dieback), climate change and inappropriate fire regimes.
The spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae) of the Cataxia bolganupensis-group from south-Western Australia are revised, and six species are recognized: C. barrettae sp. nov., C. bolganupensis (Main, 1985), C. colesi sp. nov., C. melindae sp. nov., C. sandsorum sp. nov. and C. stirlingi (Main, 1985). All species exhibit extreme short-range endemism, with allopatric sky-island distributions in mesic montane habitats of the Stirling Range, Porongurup Range and Mount Manypeaks. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) and cytochrome b (CYB) sequences complements the morphological taxonomy, along with a key to species and detailed information on their distributions and habitat preferences. All six species are assessed as 'endangered' using IUCN criteria, with the major threatening processes being the spread of the plant pathogenic fungus Phytophthora (causing dieback), climate change and inappropriate fire regimes.
The Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders of the family Idiopidae (subfamily Arbanitinae) are revised at the generic level, using a multi-locus molecular phylogenetic foundation and comprehensive sampling of all known lineages. We propose a new family- and genus-group classification for the monophyletic Australasian fauna, and recognise 10 genera in four tribes. The Arbanitini Simon includes Arbanitis L. Koch, 1874 (61 species), Blakistonia Hogg, 1902 (one species) and Cantuaria Hogg, 1902 (43 species). The Aganippini Simon includes Bungulla Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (two species), Eucanippe Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (one species), Eucyrtops Pocock, 1897 (two species), Gaius Rainbow, 1914 (one species) and Idiosoma Ausserer, 1871 (14 species). The Cataxiini Rainbow and Euoplini Rainbow include just Cataxia Rainbow, 1914 (11 species) and Euoplos Rainbow, 1914 (12 species), respectively. Two distinctive new genera of Aganippini are described from Western Australia, and several previously valid genera are recognised as junior synonyms of existing genus-group names, including Misgolas Karsch, 1878 (= Arbanitis; new synonymy), Aganippe O. P.-Cambridge, 1877 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy) and Anidiops Pocock, 1897 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy). Gaius stat. rev. is further removed from synonymy of Anidiops. Other previously hypothesised generic synonyms are supported by both morphology and molecular phylogenetic data from 12 genes, including the synonymy of Neohomogona Main, 1985 and Homogona Rainbow, 1914 with Cataxia, and the synonymy of Albaniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Armadalia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Bancroftiana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 and Tambouriniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 with Euoplos. At the species level, the identifications of Eucy. latior (O. P.-Cambridge, 1877) and I. manstridgei (Pocock, 1897) are clarified, and three new species are described: Bungulla bertmaini Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., Eucanippe bifida Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov. and Idiosoma galeosomoides Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., the latter remarkable for its phragmotic abdominal morphology. The Tasmanian species Mygale annulipes C. L. Koch, 1842 is here transferred to the genus Stanwellia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 (family Nemesiidae), comb. nov., Arbanitis mestoni Hickman, 1928 is transferred to Cantuaria, comb. nov. and Idiosoma hirsutum Main, 1952 is synonymised with I. sigillatum (O. P.-Cambridge, 1870), new synonymy. In addition to the morphological synopses and an illustrated key to genera, molecular diagnoses are presented for all nominal taxa, along with live habitus and burrow images to assist in field identification. The Australasian idiopid fauna is highly diverse, with numerous new species known from all genera. As a result, this study provides a taxonomic and nomenclatural foundation for future species-level analyses, and a single reference point for the monographic documentation of a remarkable fauna.
http://zoobank.org/?lsid=urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BACE065D-1EF9-40C6-9134-AADC9235FAD8
Earth is currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction of complex multi-cellular life, the first at the hands of a single species. The documented extinctions of iconic (mostly vertebrate and plant) taxa dominate the discourse, while poorly known invertebrate species are disappearing ‘silently’, sometimes without having ever been described. Here, we highlight the decline of elements of the trapdoor spider (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) fauna of southern Australia – a taxonomically poorly documented yet diverse assemblage of long-lived fossorial predators. We show that a number of trapdoor spider species may be threatened after a century of intensive land clearing and stocking, and that remaining populations in some areas may be experiencing serious contemporary population declines. So, how do we conserve this fauna? We suggest that baseline systematic studies are crucial, and that follow-up surveys, including integrative citizen science solutions, should be used to assess where remnant populations still exist, and whether they can persist into the future. Detailed population genetic research on a handful of carefully chosen taxa could be broadly informative, and ongoing natural history studies remain invaluable. Although solutions may be limited in the face of ongoing habitat degradation and other threats, urgently quantifying declines has implications not just for spiders but for mitigating against the mass extinction of poorly known invertebrate taxa across the globe.
Urban remnant vegetation is subject to varying degrees of disturbance that may or may not be proportional to the size of the patch. The impact of disturbance within patches on species with low mobility and dispersal capabilities was investigated in a survey targeting nemesiid species of the mygalomorph spider clade in the Perth metropolitan area, south-western Australia. Nemesiid presence was not influenced by patch size, but presence did negatively correlate with higher degrees of invasive grass and rabbit disturbance. Further, patch size was significantly positively correlated with degree of disturbance caused by rabbits. Compared with quadrats, patches were not as effective as sample units in determining the impact of disturbance on nemesiid presence.
The trapdoor spider family Migidae has a classical Gondwanan distribution and is found on all southern continents except the Indian region. The Australian fauna consists of three genera including Moggridgea O. P. Cambridge from south-western Australia and Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Moggridgea is otherwise widespread throughout Africa. The sole named species of Moggridgea from Western Australia, M. tingle Main, and its unnamed relatives are the subject of the present paper, which was stimulated by concern for the long-term persistence of populations, and the discovery of deep genetic divergences between populations. A phylogeny of the Western Australian species relative to African and South Australian Moggridgea was generated using molecular COI and ITS rDNA data, and based on both molecular and morphological criteria we conclude that the Western Australian taxa should be removed from Moggridgea and transferred to a new genus, Bertmainius. The seven species are delimited using both morphological and molecular criteria: B. tingle (Main) (the type species), and six new species, B. colonus, B. monachus, B. mysticus, B. opimus, B. pandus and B. tumidus. All seven species are considered to be threatened using IUCN criteria, with the major threatening processes being inappropriate fire regimes and climate change.
This study investigated the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and evaporative water loss (EWL) responses of three Australian trapdoor-constructing mygalomorph spider species, two undescribed arid-zone species (Aganippe 'Tropicana A' and A. 'Tropicana B') and a mesic-dwelling species (A. rhaphiduca) to acute environmental regimes of temperature and relative humidity. There were significant effects of species, temperature, and relative humidity on SMR. SMR was lower for A. raphiduca than both A. 'Tropicana' spp. with no difference between the two A. 'Tropicana' spp. Metabolic rate increased at higher temperature and relative humidity for all three species. There were significant effects of species, temperature, and relative humidity on EWL. The mesic Aganippe species had a significantly higher EWL than either arid Tropicana species. EWL was significantly higher at lower relative humidity. Our results suggest an environmental effect on EWL but not SMR, and that mygalomorphs are so vulnerable to desiccation that the burrow provides a crucial refuge to ameliorate the effects of low environmental humidity. We conclude that mygalomorphs are highly susceptible to disturbance, and are of high conservation value as many are short-range endemics.
Citations (38)
... Atrax likely began to diversify in the Oligocene (30 Ma), with population divergences occurring as late as Plio-Pleistocene. Vicariant speciation caused by habitat fragmentation induced by Miocene aridification likely contributed to Atrax diversification -a common pattern observed in the mesic Australian fauna including mygalomorph spiders [57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] and other taxa (e.g., [65][66][67][68][69]). However, it is unclear what role other barriers in the Sydney Basin and beyond (e.g., topography of the Blue Mountains, major rivers) played in Atrax biogeography, and future research should focus on the species boundaries and identifying factors promoting diversification. ...
... People around the world keep spiders as pets. Many large tarantulas (Theraphosidae) have long lifespans, sometimes reaching several decades in captivity (Mason, Wardell-Johnson & Main, 2018). The legal tarantula trade can be important for local livelihoods in some areas. ...
... In recent studies using molecular data, it was found that both Aname and Conothele had many more species present than described (Huey et al. 2019;Rix et al. 2021), with 85 and 61 undescribed putative species, respectively. Similarly, about 100 species have been newly described in the wellstudied mygalomorph family Idiopidae over the past 5 years for Australia (Harrison et al. 2018;Rix et al. 2017aRix et al. , 2017bRix et al. , 2018aRix et al. , 2018bRix et al. , 2018cRix et al. , 2018dRix et al. , 2019aRix et al. , 2019bWilson et al. 2019Wilson et al. , 2020, including with the aid of genetic data. While our study follows the same trend of uncovering new species when incorporating molecular data, the full scale of the undescribed tarantula diversity in Australia will not be known until a full integrative taxonomic revision occurs, coupled with broad sampling and comparisons with type material. ...
... The high levels of diversity and endemism in plants and animals, including invertebrates (e.g. Wardell-Johnson & Horwitz 1996;Belk 1998;Beard et al. 2000;Myers et al. 2000;Harvey 2002;How & Cowan 2006;Bush et al. 2007;Lambers 2014;Laurie 2015;Rix et al. 2015Rix et al. , 2017Rix et al. , 2018, is unparalleled elsewhere in the state, and only equalled by the forests of eastern Australia (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund 2021). ...
... These two species were the sole members of the genus Idiosoma for the next 65 years, until Rix et al. (2017b, d) demonstrated the paraphyly of the large genus Aganippe O. P. -Cambridge, 1877 relative to the nigrumgroup (i.e., Idiosoma s. s.), and Rix et al. (2017d) formally synonymised the two genera, for which Idiosoma was the older name. In the years subsequent to its description, I. nigrum in particular became something of a spider icon in Western Australia, thanks to its Schedule 3 State listing as a threatened species in 1998, and the publication of numerous papers, books and popular science articles, mostly by B.Y. Main and colleagues (e.g., Main 1957a, b, 1962, 1964, 1976, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2003Ellis 2015;Rix 2017;Rix et al. 2017b-d). However, in the last few decades it also became apparent that the nigrum-group included more than just two species of Idiosoma, as collections from the Perth Hills and other more remote areas of Western Australia revealed in increasing detail. ...
... In recent studies using molecular data, it was found that both Aname and Conothele had many more species present than described (Huey et al. 2019;Rix et al. 2021), with 85 and 61 undescribed putative species, respectively. Similarly, about 100 species have been newly described in the wellstudied mygalomorph family Idiopidae over the past 5 years for Australia (Harrison et al. 2018;Rix et al. 2017aRix et al. , 2017bRix et al. , 2018aRix et al. , 2018bRix et al. , 2018cRix et al. , 2018dRix et al. , 2019aRix et al. , 2019bWilson et al. 2019Wilson et al. , 2020, including with the aid of genetic data. While our study follows the same trend of uncovering new species when incorporating molecular data, the full scale of the undescribed tarantula diversity in Australia will not be known until a full integrative taxonomic revision occurs, coupled with broad sampling and comparisons with type material. ...
... In recent studies using molecular data, it was found that both Aname and Conothele had many more species present than described (Huey et al. 2019;Rix et al. 2021), with 85 and 61 undescribed putative species, respectively. Similarly, about 100 species have been newly described in the wellstudied mygalomorph family Idiopidae over the past 5 years for Australia (Harrison et al. 2018;Rix et al. 2017aRix et al. , 2017bRix et al. , 2018aRix et al. , 2018bRix et al. , 2018cRix et al. , 2018dRix et al. , 2019aRix et al. , 2019bWilson et al. 2019Wilson et al. , 2020, including with the aid of genetic data. While our study follows the same trend of uncovering new species when incorporating molecular data, the full scale of the undescribed tarantula diversity in Australia will not be known until a full integrative taxonomic revision occurs, coupled with broad sampling and comparisons with type material. ...
... there have been several regional surveys that have contributed to more detailed Review Copy -Not for Redistribution Michael Rix -Queensland Museum -06/02/2017 concepts of local biogeographic patterns and processes. Three large biotic surveys in Western Australia used analytical techniques to compare the composition of the fauna against a range of variables including climate and soil types to help explain modern distributions: the Carnarvon regional survey Main et al. 2000;Smith and McKenzie 2000), the southwestern agricultural zone or Wheatbelt survey (McKenzie et al. 2003;Harvey et al. 2004) and the Pilbara bioregion survey Volschenk et al. 2010). These remain the only in-depth studies of arachnid faunas using quantitative analytical methods. ...
... Whilst previously considered a junior synonym of Aname or Chenistonia (Main 1982(Main , 1985(Main , 2012Raven 1981Raven , 1984Raven , 1985Raven , 2000, Harvey et al. (2018) drew primarily on consistent differences in embolus length and the shape of the pedipalpal tibia in males to support the clade as morphologically distinct, resurrecting Proshermacha and removing all species from the synonymy of C. tepperi (Hogg, 1902) [originally described from southern South Australia, see Hogg (1902)], until species-level revisions could be undertaken. In addition, the authors noted that many species now attributed to Proshermacha, including the type species (Proshermacha subarmata Simon 1908), those described by Hogg (1902), Simon (1908), Rainbow & Pulleine (1918) and Main (1954), and those included in Chenistonia by Main (1982Main ( , 1985Main ( , 2012, are provisional and await confirmation in revisionary studies. ...
... However, many recent studies elsewhere have demonstrated high, and hitherto unrecognised, rates of extinction in at least one large invertebrate group, landsnails (Régnier et al., 2009(Régnier et al., , 2015a, and documented major and ongoing declines across large swathes of the invertebrate fauna (Wagner, 2020;Wagner et al., 2021;Cowie et al., 2022). Such trends are also apparent in Australia, although the evidence is limited (Rix et al., 2017;Braby, 2019;Braby et al., 2021;New, 2022;Monteith, 2023). ...
