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Five new species of the spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 from Vietnam are described: Araneus eugeneisp. nov. (♂♀), A. ethanisp. nov. (♀), A. liamisp. nov. (♂♀), Hypsosinga ryanisp. nov. (♂♀), and H. zionisp. nov. (♀). Diagnostic photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs are provided. Types of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Four species of the genus Ischnothyreus Simon, 1893 from Tibet, China are recognised, including three new species, I. caoqiisp. nov. (female), I. metoksp. nov. (female), and I. pomesp. nov. (male and female). Males of Ischnothyreus linzhiensis Hu, 2001 are discovered for the first time since its description. Descriptions, diagnoses, and photographs of the four species are provided.

Eleven new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are described: Araneus arcuatussp. nov. (♂♀), A. bidentatussp. nov. (♂♀), A. bidentatoidessp. nov. (♂♀), A. complanatussp. nov. (♂♀), A. corrugissp. nov. (♀), A. cucullatussp. nov. (♀), A. minisculussp. nov. (♂), A. ovoideussp. nov. (♀), A. pseudodigitatussp. nov. (♂♀), A. semiorbiculatussp. nov. (♀), and A. tetracanthussp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs are provided.

Three cave-dwelling spider species belonging to the family Symphytognathidae Hickman, 1931, i.e., Anapistula sanjiaosp. nov. (♂♀), A. walayakusp. nov. (♂♀), and A. panensis Lin, Tao & Li, 2013 (♂♀), are reported from southwest China. DNA sequences and detailed illustrations of the habitus, male palps and epigynes are provided, and their distributions are mapped. Their phylogenetic position within symphytognathids and relationships were tested and assessed using previously published phylogenetic analyses on symphytognathoids. The results showed that they form a clade with A. choojaiae Rivera-Quiroz, Petcharad & Miller, 2021 from Thailand.

A new genus of the subfamily Coelotinae F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893, Yunguiriusgen. nov. is described, comprising two new species and three species previously described in Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999, all from southwest China: Y. duogesp. nov. (♀), Y. xiangdingsp. nov. (♀), Y. ornatus (Wang, Yin, Peng & Xie, 1990) comb. nov. (♂♀) (the type species of Yunguiriusgen. nov.), Y. subterebratus (Zhang, Zhu & Wang, 2017) comb. nov. (♀), and Y. terebratus (Peng & Wang, 1997) comb. nov. (♂♀). Molecular analyses support Yunguiriusgen. nov. as a monophyletic group, with the Sinodraconarius clade as its sister group: Yunguiriusgen. nov. + (Hengconarius + (Nuconarius + Sinodraconarius)).

Three new species of Vappolotes Zhao & Li, 2019 (Araneae: Agelenidae) are described from Hunan and Sichuan provinces, China: V. longshan sp. n. (♀♂), V. tianjiayu sp. n. (♀), and V. hei sp. n. (♀♂). The diagnostic characters of this genus are amended based on the newly obtained data. Photographs of habitus and copulatory organs, as well as their distributions, are provided for all new Vappolotes species.

Background Spiders comprise a hyperdiverse lineage of predators with venom systems, yet the origin of functionally novel spider venom glands remains unclear. Previous studies have hypothesized that spider venom glands originated from salivary glands or evolved from silk-producing glands present in early chelicerates. However, there is insufficient molecular evidence to indicate similarity among them. Here, we provide comparative analyses of genome and transcriptome data from various lineages of spiders and other arthropods to advance our understanding of spider venom gland evolution. Results We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of a model spider species, the common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum). Module preservation, GO semantic similarity, and differentially upregulated gene similarity analyses demonstrated a lower similarity in gene expressions between the venom glands and salivary glands compared to the silk glands, which questions the validity of the salivary gland origin hypothesis but unexpectedly prefers to support the ancestral silk gland origin hypothesis. The conserved core network in the venom and silk glands was mainly correlated with transcription regulation, protein modification, transport, and signal transduction pathways. At the genetic level, we found that many genes in the venom gland-specific transcription modules show positive selection and upregulated expressions, suggesting that genetic variation plays an important role in the evolution of venom glands. Conclusions This research implies the unique origin and evolutionary path of spider venom glands and provides a basis for understanding the diverse molecular characteristics of venom systems.

The spider genus Asceua Thorell, 1887 contains 34 species, almost entirely limited to Indochina, India, Sri Lanka and China, with a regional distribution. Eleven species of Asceua are currently only known from China, five of them are described only from one sex. Two new spider species of the genus Asceua are reported from China, A. haocongi sp. n. (♂♀, Hainan) and A. zijin sp. n. (♂♀, Jiangsu). Photos and a morphological description of the new species are provided.

A new genus and thirteen species of jumping spiders from northern Vietnam are reported. Zabkagen. nov. is erected to accommodate two species transferred from Euophrys Blackwall,1841, including the generotype, Z. cooki (Żabka, 1985), comb. nov., and Z. xuyei (Lin & Li, 2020), comb. nov. Twelve new species are described: Chinattus crewsaesp. nov. (♂♀), C. logunovisp. nov. (♂♀), Eupoa maidinhyenisp. nov. (♂♀), E. maddisonisp. nov. (♂♀), E. ninhbinhsp. nov. (♂), E. zabkaisp. nov. (♂♀), Indopadilla cucsp. nov. (♂♀), Synagelides anisp. nov. (♂♀), S. miisp. nov. (♂♀), S. pengisp. nov. (♀), S. sanchasp. nov. (♂♀), and Yaginumaella hagiangsp. nov. (♂). The unknown male of Zabka cooki is described for the first time. Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs are provided.

Liocranid spiders from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Yunnan, China are studied. Two new species of Oedignatha Thorell, 1881, O. dian Lu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and O. menglun Lu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), are described, and the female of Jacaena menglaensis Mu & Zhang, 2020 is described for the first time. The specimens studied are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Sea–land transition caused by marine incursion and regression is hypothesized to be a major driving force in terrestrial biodiversity, providing opportunities for marine ancestors to colonize terrestrial habitats and driving vicariant speciation in distinct geographical regions. Here, we test this hypothesis in East Asia using amphipods of the Morinoia japonica complex. We constructed a dataset from 269 individuals covering all known ranges of this species complex. Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses revealed that sea–land transition during the Miocene drove the coastal ancestor to invade terrestrial habitats in East Asia and subsequently split into eight biogeographic lineages in eastern China, Korea, Japan and some Pacific islands. Stepping-stone dispersal resulted in a relatively wide distribution of M. japonica, and long-term geographical isolation led to the diversification of the M. japonica complex. Species delimitation analysis suggests that this complex contains eight species. We describe the geographical group from eastern China as a new species, Morinoia aosen sp. nov., based on genetic and morphological comparisons with other geographical groups. Type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Four new species of the genus Phrynarachne Thorell, 1869 from China are described: P. dreepy Lin & S. Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. xuxiake Lin & S. Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. yunhui Lin & S. Li, sp. nov. (♀), and P. zhengzhongi Lin & S. Li, sp. nov. (♀). The unknown sexes of P. brevis Tang & S. Li, 2010 (♂), P. huangshanensisLi et al., 1985 (♀), P. lancea Tang & S. Li, 2010 (♂), and P. mammillata Song, 1990 (♀) are described for the first time. Phrynarachne sinensis Peng, Yin & Kim is treated as a nomen dubium.

Cenozoic tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region has greatly changed the landforms and environment of Eurasia, driving the evolution of animals and greatly affecting the diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. By combining the latest Tethyan paleogeographic models and some recently published Eurasian zoological studies, we systematically summarize how tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region has influenced the evolution and diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. The convergence of continental plates, closure of Tethys Sea, and Tethyan sea-level changes have directly affected the composition and spatial distribution of Eurasian animal diversity. The topographic and environmental changes caused by Tethyan tectonics have determined regional animal diversity in Eurasia by influencing animal origin, dispersal, preservation, diversification, and extinction. The ecological transformations resulted in the emergence of new habitats and niches, which promoted animal adaptive evolution, specialization, speciation, and expansion. We highlight that the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tethyan region has been responsible for much of the alteration in Eurasian animal distribution and has been an essential force in shaping organic evolution. Furthermore, we generalize a general pattern that Tethyan geological events are linked with Eurasian animal evolution and diversity dynamics.特提斯海区域新生代以来的构造演化极大地改变了欧亚地区的地貌和环境，推动了欧亚地区的动物演化，并深刻影响了欧亚地区的动物多样性格局。该文通过结合最新的特提斯海区域古地理模型，对近期发表的一系列欧亚地区动物学研究进行系统回顾和总结，详细论述了特提斯海区域新生代以来的构造演化是如何影响欧亚地区动物的演化及多样性格局的：大陆板块的汇聚、特提斯海的闭合以及特提斯海区域海平面变化直接影响了欧亚地区的动物多样性组成和空间分布；海陆变迁引起的区域地理和环境变化，对当地动物的起源、扩散、存留、多样化和灭绝产生了一系列影响，进而决定了欧亚动物的区域多样性格局；生态环境的变化导致了新栖息地和新生态位的出现，促进了欧亚动物的适应性进化、特化、物种形成和扩张。我们强调了特提斯海区域新生代构造演化是欧亚动物分布变化的主要原因，也是驱动欧亚动物演化的重要力量。此外，我们提出了特提斯地质事件与欧亚动物演化和多样性动态相关的一般模式。.

Fourteen symphytognathid species belonging to three genera are examined, including the descriptions of eight new species and two new genera from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar: Patu Marples, 1951: P. catba S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂, Vietnam), P. dakou S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂♀, China), P. damtao S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂, Vietnam), P. jiangzhou S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♀, China), P. jidanweishi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 (♂♀, China), P. nagarat S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂♀, Thailand), P. nigeri Lin & S. Li, 2009 (♀, China), P. putao S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♀, Myanmar), P. qiqi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 (♀, China) and P. xiaoxiao Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 (♂♀, China); Kirinua S. Li & Lin, gen. nov.: K. maguai S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂♀, China) and K. yangshuo S. Li & Lin, sp. nov. (♂♀, China); Swilda S. Li & Lin, gen. nov.: S. longtou (Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009), comb. nov. (♂♀, China) is transferred from Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995 and S. spinathoraxi (Lin & S. Li, 2009), comb. nov. (♂♀, China) is transferred from Patu. Diagnoses, descriptions and illustrations are provided for new taxa, as well as a distribution map. The males of P. xiaoxiao and S. longtou are described for the first time. Type specimens of P. jidanweishi, P. nigeri, P. qiqi, P. xiaoxiao, S. longtou and S. spinathoraxi are re-examined and photographed. All Asian Patu species are revised and two species, P. kishidai Shinkai, 2009 and P. bispina Lin, Pham & S. Li, 2009, are transferred to Crassignatha and proposed as new combinations: Crassignatha kishidaicomb. nov. and C. bispinacomb. nov. In addition, DNA barcodes and genetic distances of ten species treated in this paper were obtained to confirm identification.

The spider family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 has a worldwide distribution with 584 species belonging to 49 genera. Amongst these, 141 species are from Asia, including 130 species assigned to Cteninae Keyserling, 1877. Nine new species belonging to three genera of Cteninae are reported from Asia: Amauropelma krabi sp. n. (female; Krabi, Thailand), Am. phangnga sp. n. (male; Phang Nga, Thailand), Am. saraburi sp. n. (male and female; Saraburi, Thailand); Anahita medog sp. n. (male and female; Tibet, China); Bowie ninhbinh sp. n. (male; Ninh Binh, Vietnam) and B. vinhphuc sp. n. (male and female; Vinh Phuc, Vietnam) from the robustus-species group; B. borneo sp. n. (male; Sabah, Malaysia) from the chinagirl-species group; B. engkilili sp. n. (female; Engkilili, Malaysia); B. sabah sp. n. (male and female; Sabah, Malaysia) from the scarymonsters-species group. The male of An. popa Jäger & Minn, 2015 and the female of B. fascination Jäger, 2022 (robustus-species group) are described for the first time. B. fascination Jäger, 2022 is reported from China for the first time. In addition, the DNA barcodes of all the species in this study were obtained, except for B. vinhphuc sp. n.

Eresidae C. L. Koch, 1845 contains nine genera and 102 species, of which 24 species belong to Eresus Walckenaer, 1805. Four species of the family are known from China: E. granosus Simon, 1895 (Beijing), E. kollari Rossi, 1846 (Hebei), E. lishizheni Lin, Marusik & Li, 2021 (Xinjiang) and Stegodyphus tibialis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) (Yunnan). Two new species of Eresus are described from Xinjiang, China: Eresus da Lin & Li sp. n. and E. yukuni Lin & Li sp. n. Photos and morphological descriptions of new species are given.

The theraphosid spider genus Chilobrachys Karsch, 1892 contains 30 species, almost entirely limited to Indochina, India, Sri Lanka and China. Six species of Chilobrachys are currently known from China: C. dominus Lin & Li, 2022 (Yunnan), C. guangxiensis (Yin & Tan, 2000) (Guangxi, Hainan), C. hubei Song & Zhao, 1988 (Hubei, Chongqing), C. jinchengi Lin & Li, 2022 (Tibet), C. liboensis Zhu & Zhang, 2008 (Guizhou, Guangxi) and C. lubricus Yu et al., 2021 (Yunnan). A new species, Chilobrachys qishuoi Lin & Li, sp. n., is described from Guangdong, China, on the basis of both sexes. This is the easternmost Chilobrachys species known. Photos and a morphological description of the new species are provided. Type materials are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Volcano-tectonic processes have been viewed as primary drivers in the formation of present-day diversity. Volcanos associated with mountain uplifts drive allopatric speciation through vicariance and may impact the surrounding areas like species pump or species attractor. However, the application of these hypotheses to aquatic fauna has rarely been tested explicitly. We tested these hypotheses in the Changbai Mountains (Mts), which are one of the most typical, active volcanic ranges in Northeast (NE) Asia with a long and turbulent geological history. The Gammarus nekkensis species complex of amphipod crustaceans, widely distributed throughout NE Asia with poor dispersal abilities and a long evolutionary history, is a suitable model for testing hypotheses of species pump or species attractor. Phylogenetic and ancestral range reconstructions demonstrated that the studied amphipod originated from the Changbai Mts ~27 Ma and diverged into eastern (Clade I) and western (Clade II) clades, which corresponds well with the initial volcanic eruption of the Changbai Mts in the Late Oligocene. The subsequent diversifications of subclades CI-3, CII-1a and CII-2a were probably driven by second and third eruptions of the Changbai Mts during the Miocene. In particular, the Changbai lineages had spread to the Russian Far East multiple times since the Early Miocene, and widely colonized the region during the Pleistocene. Our discoveries suggest that the ancient volcanos of the Changbai Mts act as species pumps in NE Asia, resulted in burst of diversification around the Changbai Mts and subsequent dispersals into adjacent regions.

Thirteen spider species belonging to the family Mysmenidae Petrunkevitch, 1928 are reported from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Menglun Township, Mengla County, Yunnan Province of China. One genus and five species are documented as new to science: Mengmena bannagen. nov. et. sp. nov. (♂♀), Mengmena yulinsp. nov. (♀), Mosu heguomusp. nov. (♂♀), Mysmena luosuosp. nov. (♂♀), and Mysmena daisp. nov. (♀). One species is proposed as a new combination: Mosu zhengi (Lin & Li, 2008) comb. nov. (♂♀, ex Mysmena Simon, 1894). The females of Microdipoena menglunensis (Lin & Li, 2008), Mysmena arcilonga Lin & Li, 2008, Mysmena furca Lin & Li, 2008, and Mysmena rostella Lin & Li, 2008 are described for the first time. Three known species are re-examined and photographed: Gaoligonga taeniata Lin & Li, 2014, Mysmena biangulata (Lin & Li, 2008), and Mysmena cornigera (Lin & Li, 2008). Morphological diagnoses and illustrations are provided for these thirteen mysmenid species.

The genus Ibana Benjamin, 2014 was established, based on the type species Ibana senagang Benjamin, 2014 from Borneo, Malaysia. No species of this genus has been recorded from China. A new species of Ibana is described and illustrated, representing the first record of the genus for China. Ibana gan sp. n. differs from its congener by the yellowishbrown longitudinal band on the abdomen and the round, contiguous spermathecae. The distribution of the new species in Jiangxi Province is mapped.

What happens when organisms actively modify their environment? Clarifying the role of construction behavior on a macroevolutionary scale is crucial to interpreting phenotypic evolution. Spiders, an extremely successful group of animals exhibiting a wide variety of functional, morphological, and behavioral diversity, are ideal candidates to test whether animal behaviors are related to their phenotypic evolution. Herein, we reconstructed the phylogenomic relationships of 303 spiders covering 105 families with 99 newly developed molecular markers that universally apply across Araneae, and explicitly tested the potential link between construction behavior and somatic evolution based on extensive morphological data from 3,342 extant species and 682 fossil species. Our dated molecular phylogeny provides the backbone for analyses, revealing the behavioral and ecological processes behind these spiders’ morphological adaptations. Evolutionary model analyses showed the artifacts constructed by spiders, especially the suspending webs, expand the spider’s ability to inhabit different habitats. These artifacts have more substantial impacts on their somatic traits than habitats and promote different trajectories of morphological evolution. Specifically, for spiders, silk-lined burrowing produced larger bodies, relatively shorter legs, and longer patellae, while web-building produced smaller bodies, relatively longer legs, and shorter patellae, and hunting promoted an intermediate morphological size. Molecular convergence analysis showed that genes related to morphogenesis or response to stimulus and stress are enriched in spiders with construction behavior. Our study demonstrated that the construction behavior of an animal plays a crucial role in determining the direction and intensity of the selection pressure imposed on it and provides strong evidence that construction behaviors are associated with phenotypic evolution on macroevolutionary timescales. [Araneae; body size; habitat change; molecular marker; leg length; phylogenomics.]

The spider family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 has a worldwide distribution with 580 species belonging to 49 genera, of which 109 species of six genera are distributed in Southeast Asia. Four new species of ctenid spiders are described from Southeast Asia: Anahita menglun sp. n. (Yunnan, China), Bowie haiphong sp. n. (Hai Phong, Vietnam), Bowie mengla sp. n. (Yunnan, China) and Bowie zhengi sp. n. (Yunnan, China). In addition, the female of Sinoctenus zhui Marusik, Zhang & Omelko, 2012 (Hainan, China) is described for the first time.

A new genus and eight new species of jumping spiders from Hainan Island, China are reported. Pengmarengogen. nov. is erected to accommodate the type species P. yangisp. nov. (♂♀). Further Pengmarengogen. nov. species including P. chelifer (Simon, 1990), comb. nov. (transferred from Philates Simon, 1900), P. elongata (Peng & Li, 2002), comb. nov. (transferred from Tauala Wanless, 1988), and two species transferred from Indomarengo Benjamin, 2004: P. yui (Wang & Li, 2020), comb. nov., and P. wengnan (Wang & Li, 2022), comb. nov. Another seven new jumping spider species are described from Hainan: Irura liaesp. nov. (♂), I. miisp. nov. (♂♀), Marengo ganaesp. nov. (♂♀), M. zhengisp. nov. (♂♀), Nungia tangisp. nov. (♂♀), Philates zhouisp. nov. (♂♀), and Toxeus hainansp. nov. (♂♀). The unknown female of the endemic species, Irura pengi Guo, Zhang & Zhu, 2011 is also described for the first time.

One new genus and eight new species from Xishuangbanna, China are described and diagnosed: Bocusoides zhaoigen. and sp. nov., Euochin miisp. nov. (♂♀), E. tangisp. nov. (♀), Eupoa logunovisp. nov. (♂♀), Indomarengo wengnansp. nov. (♀), Laufeia zhangaesp. nov. (♂♀), Simaetha huigangsp. nov. (♂♀), and Synagelides chenisp. nov. (♀). The unknown sexes of three endemic species, Chalcovietnamicus lii (Lei & Peng, 2010) comb. nov. (ex Chalcoscirtus Bertkau, 1880), Indomarengo yui Wang & Li, 2020, and Rhene triapophyses Peng, 1995 are described for the first time.

A new genus of Clubionidae Wagner, 1887, Femorbiona Yu & Li, gen. nov., is described, with Clubiona brachyptera Zhu & Chen, 2012 (♂♀; Hainan, China) as the type species. Three species are included in Femorbionagen. nov.: F. brachypteracomb. nov., F. phami Yu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀; Hai Phong, Vietnam), and F. shenzhen Yu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀; Guangdong, China).

Two new species of the genus Camptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 are described from Yunnan, China, i.e., C. changxu Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and C. linyejiei Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Camptoscaphiella changxu Tong & Li, sp. nov. is characterized by the long, strongly-curved setae between male paturons, which is unknown in other oonopids and in any other spiders. Camptoscaphiella linyejiei Tong & Li, sp. nov. is the third blind species of this genus in the world. Morphological descriptions and photographic illustrations of the two new species are given.

The genus Ischnothyreus Simon, 1893 is one of the most speciose genera of Oonopidae, with 114 extant species mainly distributed in the Old World. Currently, 16 species have been recorded in China. Two species of the genus Ischnothyreus Simon, 1893 from China are recognised, including one new species, I. yunlong Tong & Li, sp. n. (male, female) from Yunnan. Ischnothyreus yueluensis Yin & Wang, 1984 is re-studied. Descriptions, diagnoses and photos of the two species are provided.

Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001 currently contains 24 species. It is distributed in Australia, India, Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia. This genus has not been found in China. Ctenus Walckenaer, 1805 comprises 213 known species. This genus is distributed worldwide. Currently, only two species, Ctenus lishuqiang Jäger, 2012 and Ctenus yaeyamensis Yoshida, 1998 are known to occur in China. Three new species of ctenid spiders are described from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Yunnan Province, China: Amauropelma yunnan sp. nov., Ctenus banna sp. nov. and Ctenus yulin sp. nov. Amauropelma and Ctenus robustus Thorell, 1897 are reported from China for the first time.

Troglomorphism is rare known in Mygalomorphae. Only three troglomorphic mygalomorphs have been recorded in China: Raveniola beelzebub Lin & Li, 2020, R. lamia Yu & Zhang, 2021 and Sinopesa gollum Lin & Li, 2021. A new troglobiontic species of the genus Raveniola is described from China: R. yangren sp. n. (female) from Hunan. Photos and morphological description of the new species are given.This new species has elongated appendages and degenerated eyes in order to adapt to the cave environment. It can be distinguished by the stubby, unbranched spermathecae from other Raveniola.

The Cenozoic Indian-Eurasian collision and uplift of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau (HTP) are among the most important geological events in the world. They have affected the diversification of regional biota of many taxonomic groups on and around the HTP. However, the exact timing and model of the collision and uplift events and speciation on and around the HTP are still in debate. The Himalayas group of Scytodes spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) are distributed at high elevations of the HTP and northern Indochina. Here, we reconstruct a dated molecular phylogeny for pan-Himalayan Scytodes spiders, including the Himalayas group, with full geographical sampling of the species from the HTP and Indochina. We test a hypothesis to explain that the rich montane biodiversity of the region is uplift-driven diversification-that orogeny drives rapid in situ speciation of the resident Scytodes lineages. Our findings revealed that the separation of the Himalayas clade from the Myanmar clade took place during the middle Oligocene, reflecting the final collision of India with Eurasia. The deep divergences among three clades (the Himalayas, the Myanmar and the Indochina clades) occurred from the middle Eocene to the middle Oligocene, corresponding to two early uplift events of the HTP. The evolutionary split between the Himalayas + Myanmar and Indochina clades were simultaneous with the rapid lateral extrusion of Indochina by the initial Himalayan uplift around the Eocene. This study highlights the importance of the diversification of dispersal-limited, high-elevation invertebrates as independent lines of evidence to reflect key tectonic events in the Himalayan-Indochina region, supporting the stepwise model for the Indian-Eurasian collision and uplift of HTP.

Species of the genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are reviewed, including seven new species: E. ganaesp. nov. (♂♀), E. liuhongisp. nov. (♂♀), E. tangisp. nov. (♂♀), E. wangchengisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yaoisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yinaesp. nov. (♂♀) and E. zhengisp. nov. (♂♀). The male of E. yunnanensis (Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990) is described for the first time. The previous description of E. yunnanensis from Tengchong, Yunnan by Mi et al. (2010) refers to E. pengisp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species and E. yunnanensis from Xishuangbanna are provided.

Thirty-five new species of the Pimoa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943 are described from Pan-Himalaya: P. anning Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. bomi Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. cawarong Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. daman Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. danba Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. deqen Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. dongjiu Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. guiqing Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. gyaca Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. gyara Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. gyirong Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. heishui Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. jinchuan Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. khaptad Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. koshi Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. lhatog Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. mechi Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. miandam Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. miero Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. mude Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. muli Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. naran Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. ninglang Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. nyalam Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. phaplu Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. putou Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. rara Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. sangri Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. shigatse Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. tengchong Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. xiahe Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. yejiei Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀), P. yele Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. zayu Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. zhigangi Zhang & Li, sp. nov. (♀). The DNA barcodes of the thirty-five new species are provided.

Spiders of the genusClubionaLatreille, 1804 from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China are studied. A total of 47 species is reported and illustrated, including 14 new species and two new synonyms. Twelve of the new species belong to four species groups:C. dengpaoYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. subdidentataYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. tixingYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. xiaociYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. xiaokongYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. yejieiYu & Li,sp. nov.,C. zhaoiYu & Li,sp. nov.andC. zhigangiYu & Li,sp. nov.from theC. corticalisgroup;C. miiYu & Li,sp. nov.andC. subtongiYu & Li,sp. nov.from theC. ternatensisgroup;C. bannaYu & Li,sp. nov.from theC. filicatagroup; andC. menglunYu & Li,sp. nov.from theC. trivialisgroup. The remaining two new species,C. shuangsiYu & Li,sp. nov.andC. wangchengiYu & Li,sp. nov., are not readily assignable to any of the existing species groups. The female ofC. cochlearisYu & Li, 2019, the female ofC. tianeYu & Li, 2019, the female ofC. bicornisYu & Li, 2019, the male ofC. lalaJäger & Dankittipakul, 2010 and the true female ofC. suthepicaDankittipakul, 2008 are described for the first time. Two new synonyms are:C. vukomiJäger & Dankittipakul, 2010syn. nov. =C. circulataZhang & Yin, 1998;C. melanotheleThorell, 1895syn. nov. =Clubiona melanostictaThorell, 1890. A checklist ofClubionaspecies from Xishuangbanna is provided. The DNA barcodes of almost all of the species were obtained for species delimitation, matching of sexes and future use.

Although widely thought to be aggressive, solitary, and potentially cannibalistic, some spider species have evolved group-living behaviors. The distinct transition provides the framework to uncover group-living evolution. Here, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic study and examined patterns of molecular evolution in two independently evolved group-living spiders and twelve solitary species. We report that positively selected genes among group-living spider lineages are significantly enriched in nutrient metabolism and autophagy pathways. We also show that nutrient-related genes of group-living spiders convergently experience amino acid substitutions and accelerated relative evolutionary rates. These results indicate adaptive convergence of nutrient metabolism that may ensure energy supply in group-living spiders. The decelerated evolutionary rate of autophagy-related genes in group-living lineages is consistent with an increased constraint on energy homeostasis as would be required in a group-living environment. Together, the results show that energy metabolic pathways play an important role in the transition to group-living in spiders.大部分蜘蛛有攻击性，捕食同类和其他生物，营独居生活。少数营群居生活的蜘蛛，是解析生物从独居到社会性群居的重要材料。该研究基于比较转录组学，分析了2种群居蜘蛛和12种独居蜘蛛的进化模式，发现群居蜘蛛营养代谢和自噬通路基因受到正选择，与营养相关基因发生氨基酸替换和进化速率升高；发现群居蜘蛛自噬基因进化速率降低，与能量稳态的约束力增加吻合。研究结果揭示了能量代谢通路在蜘蛛从独居到社会性群居转变中的作用。.

Three new species of the genusToxoniellaWarui & Jocqué, 2002 of the family Liocranidae Simon, 1897 are described from Kenya:T. tharakaOketch & Li,sp. nov.,T. waruiiOketch & Li,sp. nov., andT. nyeriOketch & Li,sp. nov.Types are deposited in the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Nairobi, Kenya.

Five new species of the huntsman spider genus Sinopoda Jäger, 1999 are described: S. hongruii Wang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀, forest in Anhui, China), S. jiangzhou Wang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀, cave in Guangxi, China), S. saiyok Wang & Li, sp. nov. (♀, cave in Kanchanaburi, Thailand), S. yanjin Wang & Li, sp. nov. (♀, forest in Yunnan, China), and S. yanzi Wang & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀, cave in Hunan, China). A distribution map of the new species is provided.

Ectatosticta spiders from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were studied. Multilocus molecular and morphological data identified 16 putative species, including seven new species: Ectatosticta wenshu Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , Ectatosticta baima Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , Ectatosticta helii Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , Ectatosticta shaseng Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , Ectatosticta puxian Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , Ectatosticta qingshi Lin & S. Li sp. nov. , and Ectatosticta baixiang Lin & S. Li sp. nov. This increase in the number of Ectatosticta species from a single species in 2008 to 16 in the current study highlights the Linnean shortfall in China. The previously known distribution of Ectatosticta spiders was from one locality in Shaanxi and is now expanded to the east and south of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Despite 250 years of taxonomic classification and over 1.2 million species already catalogued, known species diversity is only a small part of true species diversity on Earth, and thus, the known species are only the tip of iceberg. Here, we investigated the genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 of the family Pholcidae C. L. Koch, 1850 in the Changbai Mountains, Northeast China, which provides an excellent case of high species diversity. Previously, only 14 endemic Pholcus spiders, all belonging to the P. phungiformes species group, and two introduced species P. manueli Gertsch, 1937 and P. zichyi Kulczynski, 1901 from the P. crypticolens species group, have been recorded from this area. Our study confirmed 11 new species of the P. phungiformes species group based on morphology and three methods of molecular species delimitation: P. gaizhou Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. guanshui Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. jiguanshan Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. longxigu Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. luoquanbei Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. shenshi Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. tianmenshan Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. wangjiang Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. xingqi Yao & Li, sp. nov., P. yaoshan Yao & Li, sp. nov., and P. yuhuangshan Yao & Li, sp. nov. This study brings the fauna of the P. phungiformes species group from the Changbai Mountains to 25 species, approximately two times more than previously known, which could indicate that species diversity in the area is underestimated for all arthropod fauna.

Seven new species of the genus Ischnothyreus Simon, 1893 from the spider family Oonopidae Simon, 1890 are reported from Myanmar: I. hponkanrazi sp. nov. (♀), I. jianglangi sp. nov. (♀), I. meukyawwa sp. nov. (♂♀), I. putao sp. nov. (♀), I. qiuxing sp. nov. (♀), I. taunggyi sp. nov. (♂♀) and I. zhigangi sp. nov. (♂♀). Morphological descriptions and photographic illustrations of the new species are given. All types are preserved in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS).

A new species, Gammarus hoboksar Hou, sp. nov., is described from the Irtysh River basin of Xinjiang, China. The species differs morphologically from its congeners by calceoli of antenna II absent; merus and carpus of pereopods III–IV with short setae; inner ramus of uropod III about 0.79 times the length of outer ramus, terminal article of outer ramus about 0.24 times the length of first article; telson cleft, with spines and setae on surface and three spines on distal end. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28S rRNA and COI gene sequences supported the species distinctness. A key to the genus Gammarus with nine species and a map of their distributions are provided.

Haplocosmia Schmidt & von Wirth, 1996 is a small genus distributed in the Himalayas that includes two species. This genus has not been found in China (Li et al. 2021, Yao et al. 2021, Zhao et al. 2022). A new species of the genus Haplocosmia is described from China: Haplocosmia sherwoodae sp. n. from Tibet. Photos and a morphological description of the new species are given. The type specimen of the new species is deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (IZCAS).

Spiders are the most abundant venomous predators in the world. Previous research related to spider venom has mostly relied on transcriptomes and proteomes, with only a few high-quality genomes available. This is far from consistent with the species diversity of spiders. In this study, we constructed a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Hylyphantes graminicola, which contained 13 chromosomes, with a genome length of 931.68 Mb and scaffold N50 of 77.07 Mb. Integrating genome, transcriptome, and proteome profiling, we identified a total of 59 coding genes among nine toxin gene families. Among them, Group 7 allergen (ALL7) protein was reported in spider venom for the first time. Its coding genes had a predicted signal peptide and maintained high expression levels in the venom, suggesting that ALL7 plays an important role in venom and maybe is a type of newly discovered venom toxin in the spider. By implementing comparative genomics, we found a similar gene number of main toxin gene families in spiders and the scorpion genome with conservative evolutionary rates, indicating that these toxin genes could be an ancient (~400 million years) and a conserved "basic toolkit" for spiders and scorpions to perform primary defence functions. Obtaining high-quality chromosome-level genomes from spiders not only facilitates venom research and toxin resource application, but also can improve comparative genomic analysis in other important traits, like the evolution of silk or behaviour.

Species of the spider family Telemidae Fage, 1913 from East and Southeast Asia are revised. Four new genera are erected:MekonglemaZhao & Li,gen. nov.with the type speciesMekonglema bailangZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Yunnan, China),SiamlemaZhao & Li,gen. nov.with the type speciesSiamlema changhaiZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, southern Thailand),SundalemaZhao & Li,gen. nov.with the type speciesSundalema bonjolZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Sumatra), andZhuanlemaZhao & Li,gen. nov.with the type speciesZhuanlema peteriZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, northern Laos). Eight additional new species are described:Mekonglema kaoraoZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, northern Laos),M. walayakuZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Yunnan, China),M. yanZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Yunnan, China),Pinelema daguaiwanZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Guangxi, China),P. shibaZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, Guangxi, China),P. thamZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, northern Laos),Siamlema sueaZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, southern Thailand), andSundalema khaorakkiatZhao & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀, southern Thailand). Thirty species are transferred from the genusTelemaSimon, 1882 to the generaPinelemaWang & Li, 2012,Sundalemagen. nov., andTelemofilaWunderlich, 1995.Seychellia xinpingiLin & Li, 2008 is transferred toMekonglemagen. nov.asM. xinpingicomb. nov.Furthermore, the genusPinelemais divided into seven species groups based on male morphological characters.

A new genus, Promolotragen. nov., including two new species, P. hponkanrazisp. nov. (♂♀) and P. shankhaungsp. nov. (♂), is described from Myanmar. The new genus is similar to Molotra Ubick & Griswold, 2011 but can be distinguished by the completely fused bulb and cymbium, the presence of a receptacle, the absence of grooves connecting either the anterior or posterior pairs of spiracles, and the incised labium of both sexes.

Two new species of the genusOpopaeaSimon, 1892 are reported from Myanmar,O. kanpetletTong & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀) andO. zhigangiTong & Li,sp. nov.(♂♀). Morphological descriptions and photographic illustrations of the two new species are given. All types are preserved in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (IZCAS).

Biological migrations between India and Southeast (SE) Asia provide an ideal system for exploring the effects of geology and climate on species ranges. Geologists have confirmed that the direct collision between India and Eurasia occurred in the Early Eocene, but most migrations occurred between the Indian subcontinent and SE Asia rather than the former and the southern margin of Eurasia. To explain this seemingly paradoxical disconnect between the routes of plate movement and biological migration, we studied the evolutionary history of the tropical spider family Ochyroceratidae based on 101 globally distributed species. We infer a robust dated phylogeny using both transcriptomic data and a data set of classical markers and relate these to biogeographic and climatic analyses. Our results indicate that the monophyly of Ochyroceratidae is strongly supported, and the divergence times suggest a Cretaceous Gondwanan origin of the family. Reconstructed biogeographic histories support a dispersal event from the Indian subcontinent to islands of SE Asia 55–38 Ma. Climatic analyses and the fossil record reveal that ochyroceratids are characterized by a high degree of tropical niche conservatism, and that the ancestor of the Indian and SE Asian clades originated in very warm, wet environments. Early Eocene tropical, perhumid climates in India, and SE Asia may have facilitated ochyroceratid migration, whereas the dry or seasonal climate extending from the eastern coast of China to Central Asia may have acted as a barrier, preventing dispersal. Our analyses suggest that climate plays a more important role than geology in biological migration from the Indian subcontinent to SE Asia, providing new insights into the Indian–Asian biogeographic link. [Biogeography; ecology; geological connections; macroevolution; paleoclimate.]

Thirty-one new species of the genus Leclercera Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand are described: L. mianqiusp. nov. (♂♀), L. thamsangensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. yandousp. nov. (♂♀), L. thamkaewensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. xiangbabangsp. nov. (♂♀), L. jianzuiyusp. nov. (♂♀), L. yamaensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. banensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. dumuzhousp. nov. (♀), L. suwanensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. maochongsp. nov. (♀), L. shanzisp. nov. (♀), L. duandaisp. nov. (♂♀), L. hponensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. lizisp. nov. (♂), L. xiaodaisp. nov. (♀), L. yanjingsp. nov. (♀), L. ekteenensissp. nov. (♂), L. zhamensissp. nov. (♂), L. sanjiaosp. nov. (♀), L. selasihensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. paiensissp. nov. (♀), L. yuanzhuisp. nov. (♀), L. zanggaensissp. nov. (♀), L. aniensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. renqinensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. shergylaensissp. nov. (♂♀), L. pulongensissp. nov. (♂), L. tudaosp. nov. (♂♀), L. duibaensissp. nov. (♂), and L. jiazhongensissp. nov. (♂♀). Types are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing.