A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Velvet Revolution: integrative taxonomy of South Caucasian Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Eresidae), with five new species
Authors: Seropian, Armen; Zamani, Alireza; Bulbulashvili, Natalia; Arsenashvili, Eka; Zarikian, Noushig; Szuts, Tamas
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Article number: zlaf169
Volume: 205
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0024-4082
eISSN: 1096-3642
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf169
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: No Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf169
This study is part of a series devoted to the systematic revision of the velvet spider genus Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae: Eresidae) in Western Asia, and represents a milestone toward understanding the biodiversity of this group in the South Caucasus and adjacent territories. Currently, only three species of Eresus are known from the South Caucasus, although the presence of E. kollari Rossi, 1846 is highly questionable. Integrating both morphological data and COI barcoding results, we herein describe and illustrate five new species: E. albimarginatus Seropian and Zamani, sp. nov. (male), E. deminutus Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), E. gulliver Seropian and Arsenashvili, sp. nov. (male female), E. megobroba Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), all from Georgia, and E. tigrani Zamani, Seropian, Zarikian and Sz & udblac;ts, sp. nov. (male female) from Armenia and Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic). An updated phylogeny, incorporating 23 newly generated sequences, revealed eight distinct maternal lineages, four of which are formally recognized as species-groups. Previous South Caucasian records of E. kollari and E. tristis Kroneberg, 1875 are considered misidentifications and are, therefore, rejected. We provide a map of the known localities of South Caucasian Eresus species, based on examined material and data from social networking platforms.
Funding information in the publication:
This study is part of a series devoted to the systematic revision of the velvet spider genus Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae: Eresidae) in Western Asia, and represents a milestone toward understanding the biodiversity of this group in the South Caucasus and adjacent territories. Currently, only three species of Eresus are known from the South Caucasus, although the presence of E. kollari Rossi, 1846 is highly questionable. Integrating both morphological data and COI barcoding results, we herein describe and illustrate five new species: E. albimarginatus Seropian and Zamani, sp. nov. (male), E. deminutus Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), E. gulliver Seropian and Arsenashvili, sp. nov. (male female), E. megobroba Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), all from Georgia, and E. tigrani Zamani, Seropian, Zarikian and Sz & udblac;ts, sp. nov. (male female) from Armenia and Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic). An updated phylogeny, incorporating 23 newly generated sequences, revealed eight distinct maternal lineages, four of which are formally recognized as species-groups. Previous South Caucasian records of E. kollari and E. tristis Kroneberg, 1875 are considered misidentifications and are, therefore, rejected. We provide a map of the known localities of South Caucasian Eresus species, based on examined material and data from social networking platforms.
