DNA SEQUENCE DATA INDICATES THE POLYPHYL Y OF THE FAMILY CTENIDAE (ARANEAE )

Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA fragments comprising more than 400 bases of the 16S rDNA from nine spider species have been sequenced : Cupiennius salei, C. getazi, C. coccineus and Phoneutria boliviensis (Ctenidae), Pisaura mirabilis, Dolomedes fimbriatus (Pisauridae), Pardosa agrestis (Lycosidae), Clubiona pallidula (Clubi-onidae) and Ryuthela nishihirai (syn. Heptathela nishihirai; Heptathelidae: Mesothelae). Sequence divergence ranges from 3-4% among Cupiennius species and up to 36% in pairwise comparisons of the more distantly related spider DNAs. Maximally parsimonious gene trees based on these sequences indicate that Phoneutri a and Cupiennius are the most distantly related species of the examined Lycosoidea. The monophyly of the family Ctenidae is therefore doubted ; and a revision of the family, which should include DNA-data, is needed .