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The formation and spread of the Australian arid zone during the Neogene was a profoundly transformative event in the biogeographic history of Australia, resulting in extinction or range contraction in lineages adapted to mesic habitats, as well as diversification and range expansion in arid-adapted taxa (most of which evolved from mesic ancestors). However, the geographic origins of the arid zone biota are still relatively poorly understood, especially among highly diverse invertebrate lineages, many of which are themselves poorly documented at the species level. Spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae: Arbanitinae) are one such lineage, having mesic ‘on-the-continent’ Gondwanan origins, while also having experienced major arid zone radiations in select clades. In this study, we present new orthologous nuclear markers for the phylogenetic inference of mygalomorph spiders, and use them to infer the phylogeny of Australasian Idiopidae with a 12-gene parallel tagged amplicon next-generation sequencing approach. We use these data to test the mode and timing of diversification of arid-adapted idiopid lineages across mainland Australia, and employ a continent-wide sampling of the fauna’s phylogenetic and geographic diversity to facilitate ancestral area inference. We further explore the evolution of phenotypic and behavioural characters associated with both arid and mesic environments, and test an ‘out of south-western Australia’ hypothesis for the origin of arid zone clades. Three lineages of Idiopidae are shown to have diversified in the arid zone during the Miocene, one (genus Euoplos) exclusively in Western Australia. Arid zone Blakistonia likely had their origins in South Australia, whereas in the most widespread genus Aganippe, a more complex scenario is evident, with likely range expansion from southern Western Australia to southern South Australia, from where the bulk of the arid zone fauna then originated. In Aganippe, remarkable adaptations to phragmotic burrow-plugging in transitional arid zone taxa have evolved twice independently in Western Australia, while in Misgolas and Cataxia, burrow door-building behaviours have likely been independently lost at least three times in the eastern Australian mesic zone. We also show that the presence of idiopids in New Zealand (Cantuaria) is likely to be the result of recent dispersal from Australia, rather than ancient continental vicariance. By providing the first comprehensive, continental synopsis of arid zone biogeography in an Australian arachnid lineage, we show that the diversification of arbanitine Idiopidae was intimately associated with climate shifts during the Neogene, resulting in multiple Mio-Pliocene radiations.

This paper reports on species of the idiopid trapdoor spider genus Misgolas Karsch, 1878 found in the Illawarra and South Coast Regions of New South Wales, Australia. They comprise eight new species: M. horsemanae n.sp., M. gwennethae n.sp., M. phippsi n.sp., M. kampenae n.sp., M. paulaskewi n.sp., M. rowelli n.sp., M. tannerae n.sp. and M. shawi n.sp. Four species dealt with in Wishart (1992) and one in Wishart (2006) are also included in the region covered by this work: M. rapax (synonymous with M. hubbardi), M. dereki, M. kirstiae, M. robertsi (Main & Mascord, 1974) and M. gracilis respectively. M. elegans (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918) is retained here but is regarded as a nomen dubium. Evidence is provided supporting the species status of M. montanus (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918). A key for males of the species within the region is presented, as well as distribution map and comments on taxonomy and natural history.

This paper reports on species of the idiopid trapdoor spider genus Misgolas Karsch, 1878 found in the Central Coast, Newcastle and Lower Mid-North Coast Regions of New South Wales, Australia. They comprise twenty-two new species: M. mudfordae n.sp., M. thompsonae n.sp., M. tarnawskiae n.sp., M. dougweiri n.sp., M. maxhicksi n.sp., M. campbelli n.sp., M. yorkmainae n.sp., M. helensmithae n.sp., M. weigelorum n.sp., M. taiti n.sp., M. sydjordanae n.sp., M. davidwilsoni n.sp., M. crawfordorum n.sp., M. watsonorum n.sp., M. raveni n.sp., M. fredcoylei n.sp., M. billsheari n.sp., M. baehrae n.sp., M. macei n.sp., M. grayi n.sp., M. browningi n.sp. and M. linklateri n.sp. Three species dealt with in Wishart (2006) are also included in the region covered by this work: M. melancholicus, M. villosus and M. gracilis. A key for males of the species within the regions is presented, as well as distribution maps and comments on taxonomy and natural history. Also included is one new species from Bondi, an eastern suburb of Sydney—M. milledgei. The status of the Misgolas species dealt with by Wishart (2006) is clarified. An outline of the intervention of molecular work necessitated by need to match otherwise undiagnosable species with conspecific males is discussed. Misgolas hubbardi is placed in the synonymy of M. rapax as it shows no significant morphological differences in the females of the two species, nor significant molecular divergence. Dyarcyops ionthus, Arbanitis montanus and A. chisholmi are removed from the synonymy of M. rapax; and A. fuscipes is removed from the synonymy of M. villosus. A. montanus is given full species status. Dyarcyops ionthus, A. chisholmi and A. fuscipes are species incertae sedis.

This paper reports on the species of the Idiopid trapdoor spider genus Misgolas Karsch, 1878 found in the Sydney Region of New South Wales, Australia. They comprise seven new species: M. lynabra n.sp., M. cliffi n.sp., M. trangae n.sp., M. wayorum n.sp., M. rodi n.sp., M. beni n.sp. and M. michaeli n.sp.; and four species which are rediagnosed or redescribed here: Arbanitis gracilis, Dyarcyops maculosus, D. melancholicus and Megalosara villosa. The latter two species, plus Arbanitis fuscipes, Dyarcyops ionthus, Dyarcyops montanus and Arbanitis chisholmi are removed from synonymy with M. rapax. Their current or revised status is listed. This latter species, popularly known as the Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, is shown not to occur in the Sydney Region. A key for males of species within the region is presented, as well as distribution maps and comments on taxonomy and natural history.

The Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders of the family Idiopidae (subfamily Arbanitinae) are revised at the generic level, using a multi-locus molecular phylogenetic foundation and comprehensive sampling of all known lineages. We propose a new family- and genus-group classification for the monophyletic Australasian fauna, and recognise 10 genera in four tribes. The Arbanitini Simon includes Arbanitis L. Koch, 1874 (61 species), Blakistonia Hogg, 1902 (one species) and Cantuaria Hogg, 1902 (43 species). The Aganippini Simon includes Bungulla Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (two species), Eucanippe Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (one species), Eucyrtops Pocock, 1897 (two species), Gaius Rainbow, 1914 (one species) and Idiosoma Ausserer, 1871 (14 species). The Cataxiini Rainbow and Euoplini Rainbow include just Cataxia Rainbow, 1914 (11 species) and Euoplos Rainbow, 1914 (12 species), respectively. Two distinctive new genera of Aganippini are described from Western Australia, and several previously valid genera are recognised as junior synonyms of existing genus-group names, including Misgolas Karsch, 1878 (= Arbanitis; new synonymy), Aganippe O. P.-Cambridge, 1877 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy) and Anidiops Pocock, 1897 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy). Gaius stat. rev. is further removed from synonymy of Anidiops. Other previously hypothesised generic synonyms are supported by both morphology and molecular phylogenetic data from 12 genes, including the synonymy of Neohomogona Main, 1985 and Homogona Rainbow, 1914 with Cataxia, and the synonymy of Albaniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Armadalia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Bancroftiana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 and Tambouriniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 with Euoplos. At the species level, the identifications of Eucy. latior (O. P.-Cambridge, 1877) and I. manstridgei (Pocock, 1897) are clarified, and three new species are described: Bungulla bertmaini Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., Eucanippe bifida Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov. and Idiosoma galeosomoides Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., the latter remarkable for its phragmotic abdominal morphology. The Tasmanian species Mygale annulipes C. L. Koch, 1842 is here transferred to the genus Stanwellia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 (family Nemesiidae), comb. nov., Arbanitis mestoni Hickman, 1928 is transferred to Cantuaria, comb. nov. and Idiosoma hirsutum Main, 1952 is synonymised with I. sigillatum (O. P.-Cambridge, 1870), new synonymy. In addition to the morphological synopses and an illustrated key to genera, molecular diagnoses are presented for all nominal taxa, along with live habitus and burrow images to assist in field identification. The Australasian idiopid fauna is highly diverse, with numerous new species known from all genera. As a result, this study provides a taxonomic and nomenclatural foundation for future species-level analyses, and a single reference point for the monographic documentation of a remarkable fauna. http://zoobank.org/?lsid=urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BACE065D-1EF9-40C6-9134-AADC9235FAD8