Taxonomic revisions of jumping spider subfamilies Ballinae and Spartaeinae of Sri Lanka based on morphology and DNA barcodes
NRC Grant No: 17-027
Research Institute: National Institute of Fundamental Studies
Area of Research: Systematics and Evolutionary Biology of Spiders
Status: Ongoing
Summary
Spiders (Araneae) are the second largest order after Acari, within Arachnida. Crab spiders, family Thomisidae, is a specious family which includes about 2153 described species in 174 genera. Sri Lanka possesses a highly diverse endemic fauna and flora. However, very little progress has been made in its study and conservation, since independence. Recent fieldwork, conducted in Sri Lanka suggests that only a fraction of its invertebrate diversity is known.
Sri Lankan posses a relatively large jumping spider fauna for 71 species placed in 51 genera, with a large endemic component. However, many of these species were described almost a century ago. Most of the descriptions lack illustrations. Almost all of the original publications are not available in Sri Lanka. Further, during preliminary fieldwork conducted around the country, I have discovered a large number of new species.
The goal of the project is to collect, identify and describe new species as well as redescribe the less known species of crab spiders using morphology and DNA barcodes and to make available the gained scientific knowledge to the scientific community as well as the general public. Taxonomic key based on morphological characters will also be developed. Further, the generated data will be used to propose a revised taxonomy for the family, to study the evolution of the diverse behaviors of the family and to test biogeographic hypotheses in future studies. Further, this study will form the basis of future revisionary work of the family, its diversity and conservation. One graduate student will be trained in taxonomy and modern molecular biology methods.
Objectives
- To collect and describe new species of Ballinae and Spartaeinae.
- Study the diversity of Ballinae and Spartaeinae spiders of Sri Lanka
- Development of taxonomic keys based on morphological features
- Generation/elucidation of DNA barcodes for Ballinae and Spartaeinae.
- To study phylogenetic relationships of Ballinae and Spartaeinae of Sri Lanka.