Phylogenetic analysis of the tropical wolf spider subfamily Cteninae (Arachnida, Araneae, Ctenidae)

Abstract

A cladistic analysis based on parsimony was performed to test the monophyly of Cteninae. The data matrix comprises 72 terminal taxa scored for 88 characters from external morphology, female internal genitalia, and two behavioural characters. Cteninae, as currently delimited, is polyphyletic. The monoplyly of Cteninae requires the transfer of two Ctenus species to Enoploctenus (Acantheinae) and two Ctenus species to Asthenoctenus (Viridasiinae). Ctenus, the genus type, comprises approximately half of the described species of the family, and is polyphyletic as currently delimited. From the 32 Ctenus species added to this analysis, only 13 are recognized as Ctenuss.s.: (C. rectipes (C. pauloterrai (C. manauara, C. nigritus ((C. dubius, C. crulsi) ((C. amphora, C. minor) (C. medius, C. paubrasil (C. fernandae (C. ornatus, C. vehemens)))))))). The results suggest that at least eight new genera should be described to accommodate species misplaced in Ctenus. The result also refutes the monophyly of Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001, Celaetycheus Simon, 1897, Leptoctenus L. Koch, 1878, and Thoriosa Simon, 1910. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: Ctenus inazensis Strand, 1909 and Ctenus miserabilis Strand, 1916 are transferred to Enoploctenus; Ctenus tarsalis F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 and Ctenus bulimus Strand, 1909 are transferred to Asthenoctenus Simon, 1897; Celaetycheus modestus Bryant, 1942 is transferred to Ohvida Polotow & Brescovit, 2009.