A new synonymy of Coelotes oshimaensis Shimojana 2000 (Araneae: Agelenidae: Coelotinae) in Japan

Abstract

A new synonymy of coelotine spider is proposed through a comparison of the morphological characteristics and the results of our molecular analysis. Coelotes hachijoensis Ono 2008,described on the basis of specimens from Hachijo Island, is a junior synonym of Coelotes oshimaensis Shimojana 2000. The original distribution of C. oshimaensis is considered to be on Amami-oshima Island and the Tokara Islands in southwestern Japan, far from Hachijo Island. Various circumstantial evidences suggested that C. oshimaensis on Hachijo Island may have been artificially introduced from Amami-oshima Island.