Revision of the endemic Australian genus Spinasteron (Araneae: Zodariidae):: taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography

This revision of the endemic Australian zodariid genus Spinasteron Baehr, 2003 revealed 19 species. Sixteen species could be placed in two species-groups: the S. nigriceps-group: S. barlee, sp. nov., S. cavasteroides, sp. nov., S. arenarium, sp. nov., S. knowlesi, sp. nov., S. lemleyi, sp. nov., S. longbottomi, sp. nov., S. mjobergi, sp. nov., S. nigriceps Baehr, 2003, S. waldockae, sp. nov., S. weiri, sp. nov. and S. woodstock, sp. nov.; and the S. ramboldi-group: S. casuarium, sp. nov., S. kronestedti, sp. nov., S. ramboldi, sp. nov., S. spatulanum, sp. nov. and S. westi, sp. nov. Three species ( S. ludwigi, sp. nov., S. sanford Baehr, 2003 and S. peron, sp. nov.) could not be placed in any species-group. Females from only four of the new species ( S. arenarium, sp. nov., S. barlee, sp. nov., S. weiri, sp. nov. and S. westi, sp. nov.) were available for this study. The possible relationships of the species-groups and species are analysed with Hennig86, NONA and also reconstructed using the original Hennigian method. All three methods indicate that only two species-groups ( S. nigriceps- group and S. ramboldi-group) represent independent lineages, whereas S. sanford and S. ludwigi, sp. nov. can be seen as the basal sister-species of both. The placement of S. peron, sp. nov. is uncertain.