Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic hypothesis for the jumping spider subfamily Ballinae (Araneae, Salticidae)

Abstract

The subfamily Ballinae is revised. To test its monophyly, 41 morphological characters, including the first phylogenetic use of scale morphology in Salticidae, were scored for 16 taxa (1 outgroup and 15 ingroup). Parsimony analysis of these data supports monophyly based on five unambiguous synapomorphies. The paper provides new diagnoses, descriptions of new genera, species, and a key to the genera. At present, Ballinae comprises 13 nominal genera, three of them new: Afromarengo, Ballus, Colaxes, Cynapes, Indomarengo, Leikung, Marengo, Philates and Sadies. Copocrossa, Mantisatta, Pachyballus and Padilla are tentatively included in the subfamily. Nine new species are described and illustrated: Colaxes horton, C. wanlessi, Philates szutsi, P. thaleri, P. zschokkei, Indomarengo chandra, I. sarawakensis, Leikung kinabaluensis and Marengo deelemanae. Colaxes nitidiventris and Ballus segmentatus are redescribed. The Seychelles species Baviola spatulata is considered a junior synonym of B. braueri. The phylogenetic analysis suggests two independent origins of tentative Batesian mimicry of ants within Ballinae. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London.