A revision of Herennia (Araneae:Nephilidae:Nephilinae), the Australasian 'coin spiders'

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matjaž Kuntner
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
The Other ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
Sister Clade ◽  
New Synonymy ◽  
New Britain

The nephilid ‘coin spiders’ (Herennia Thorell) are known for their arboricolous ladder webs, extreme sexual size dimorphism and peculiar sexual biology. This paper revises Herennia taxonomy, systematics, biology and biogeography. The widespread Asian Herennia multipuncta (Doleschall) ( = H. sampitana Karsch, new synonymy; = H. mollis Thorell, new synonymy) is synanthropic and invasive, whereas the other 10 species are narrowly distributed Australasian island endemics: H. agnarssoni, sp. nov. is known from Solomon Islands; H. deelemanae, sp. nov. from northern Borneo; H. etruscilla, sp. nov. from Java; H. gagamba, sp. nov. from the Philippines; H. jernej, sp. nov. from Sumatra; H. milleri, sp. nov. from New Britain; H. oz, sp. nov. from Australia; H. papuana Thorell from New Guinea; H. sonja, sp. nov. from Kalimantan and Sulawesi; and H. tone, sp. nov. from the Philippines. A phylogenetic analysis of seven species of Herennia, six nephilid species and 15 outgroup taxa scored for 190 morphological and behavioural characters resulted in 10 equally parsimonious trees supporting the monophyly of Nephilidae, Herennia, Nephila, Nephilengys and Clitaetra, but the sister-clade to the nephilids is ambiguous. Coin spiders do not fit well established biogeographic lines (Wallace, Huxley) dividing Asian and Australian biotas, but the newly drawn ‘Herennia line’ suggests an all-Australasian speciation in Herennia. To explain the peculiar male sexual behaviour (palpal mutilation and severance) known in Herennia and Nephilengys, three specific hypotheses based on morphological and behavioural data are proposed: (1) broken embolic conductors function as mating plugs; (2) bulb severance following mutilation is advantageous for the male to avoid hemolymph leakage; and (3) the eunuch protects his parental investment by fighting off rival males.

A new morphologically cryptic species of forest frog (genus Platymantis) from New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1334 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAFE M. BROWN ◽  
STEPHEN J. RICHARDS ◽  
JEET SUKUMARAN ◽  
JOHANNES FOUFOPOULOS
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
New Britain ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species of forest frog in the genus Platymantis from New Britain Island, Bismark Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. The new species is a morphologically cryptic form that has masqueraded for almost four decades under the name P. schmidti (formerly P. papuensis schmidti, Brown & Tyler, 1968). The new species is microsympatric with the geographically widespread P. schmidti at two known localities. We diagnose the new species on the basis of its distinctive advertisement call and slight but consistent differences in body size and proportions. Calling males of the new species appear to prefer more elevated perches than do males of P. schmidti and the new species may exhibit a greater extent of sexual size dimorphism.

Resolving the phylogenetic affinities of Kappaphycus inermis within the genus Kappaphycus (Gigartinales, Solieriaceae) using mitochondrial and plastid markers

Phytotaxa ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 162 (4) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Verano Dumilag ◽  
Arturo Lluisma
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
The Other ◽  
Rubisco Spacer ◽  
Phylogenetic Placement ◽  
Sister Clade ◽  
Plastid Markers ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities ◽  
Local Farmers

Although the phylogeny of the genus Kappaphycus has been the subject of a number of published studies, the phylogenetic placement of Kappaphycus inermis within the genus has remained unresolved.  In this study, we sought to determine the phylogenetic affinities of K. inermis with the other congeneric species using mitochondrial (cox1 and cox2–3 spacer) and plastid (rbcL and RuBisCo spacer) markers, using specimens collected from northwestern Philippines. Morphological observations of the collected materials confirmed the presence of key morphological features that distinguish K. inermis from the other members of Kappaphycus. Molecular analyses based on the organellar genetic markers revealed that K. inermis is indeed phylogenetically distinct from K. alvarezii, K. striatus, K. cottonii and K. malesianus, a species which was recently erected based on specimens from Malaysia. The Philippine K. inermis specimens formed a sister clade to K. malesianus (also referred to as “Aring-aring” in Malaysia) in phylogenetic trees inferred from cox1, cox2–3 spacer and rbcL, but not the RuBisCo spacer whose sequence is identical in both K. inermis and K. malesianus.  The analysis also revealed  that specimens of unidentified Kappaphycus species collected from two other sites in the Philippines and referred to as “Aring-aring” by local farmers/traders were varieties of K. alvarezii and K. striatus.

Feeding relationships between sympatric Afrotropical tree frogs (genus Hyperolius): The effects of predator body size and season

2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
The Other ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Tree Frogs ◽  
The One ◽  
Average Size

AbstractThe feeding relationships of four sympatric, ecologically nearly unknown, tree frogs of southern Nigeria (Hyperolius sylvaticus, H. guttulatus, H. fusciventris burtoni, and H. concolor) were studied during both the dry and the rainy seasons. Stomach contents were obtained by stomach flushing. The largest species were H. guttulatus and H. concolor, whereas the other two species were of smaller average size. A statistically significant sexual size dimorphism was observed in H. guttulatus, H. concolor, and H. sylvaticus (in all species the females were larger), but not in H. fusciventris. In all four species, the frequency of animals with empty stomachs was significantly lower during the rainy season than during the dry season. The four frog species were mainly arthropodeating: Araneidae and Blattoidea were preyed upon mainly by the two largest species, Acarina and Lepidoptera were taken mainly by the two smaller species, and Diptera and Formicoidea were eaten frequently by all species. The diet composition was similar between seasons in three of the four species, and H. guttulatus was the only species showing considerable diet variation between seasons. We concluded that 1) the intensity of interspecific competition should be particularly high between the two larger species on the one hand, and between the two smaller species on the other hand; and 2) the intensity of the interspecific competition should be relatively constant throughout the year.

scholarly journals Biogeography, Systematics, and Ecomorphology of Pacific Island Anoles

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillips ◽  
Burton ◽  
Womack ◽  
Pulver ◽  
Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Dynamic Processes ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
The Caribbean

: Anoles are regarded as important models for understanding dynamic processes in ecology and evolution. Most work on this group has focused on species in the Caribbean Sea, and recently in mainland South and Central America. However, the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is home to seven species of anoles from three unique islands (Islas Cocos, Gorgona, and Malpelo) that have been largely overlooked. Four of these species are endemic to single islands (Norops townsendi on Isla Cocos, Dactyloa agassizi on Isla Malpelo, D. gorgonae and N. medemi on Isla Gorgona). Herein, we present a phylogenetic analysis of anoles from these islands in light of the greater anole phylogeny to estimate the timing of divergence from mainland lineages for each species. We find that two species of solitary anoles (D. agassizi and N. townsendi) diverged from mainland ancestors prior to the emergence of their respective islands. We also present population-wide morphological data suggesting that both display sexual size dimorphism, similar to single-island endemics in the Caribbean. All lineages on Isla Gorgona likely arose during past connections with South America, and ecologically partition their habitat. Finally, we highlight the importance of conservation of these species and island fauna in general.

A Phylogenetic Analysis of Sexual Size Dimorphism in Turtles

Herpetologica ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Stephen Gosnell ◽  
Gabriel Rivera ◽  
Richard W. Blob
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Size Dimorphism

Body size and age structure of Pelophylax ridibundus populations from two different altitudes in Turkey

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Kutrup ◽  
Kurtuluş Olgun ◽  
Nurhayat özdemir ◽  
Nazan üzüm ◽  
Serkan Gül
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
The Other ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Pelophylax Ridibundus ◽  
Size And Age Structure ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Different Altitudes

AbstractWe estimated differences in body size and age structure of two populations of Pelophylax ridibundus living at different altitudes in Turkey, one from Dörtyol (6 m a.s.l.) and the other from Karagöl (1480 m a.s.l.). Their age structure was determined by skeletochronology performed on the LAGs (lines of arrested growth) of the phalanges. While ages ranged from 2 to 8 years for males and from 2 to 7 years for females in Karagöl, in Dörtyol the ages ranged from 4 to 11 years for males, and 3 to 7 years for females. Sexual size dimorphism was only found in the Dörtyol population. Larger females tend to be found in hotter climates (Dörtyol) but reach maturity later (3-4 years) than the highland population (2 years). A significant relationship between age and snout-vent length (SVL) was found for both sexes and populations with the exception of females in Dörtyol.

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