Abstract

We conducted an integrative taxonomic study of a radiation of Loxosceles spiders endemic to the Canary Islands combining molecular (mtDNA and nDNA) and morphological data. This led to the formal description of six new species: Loxosceles mahan sp. nov. endemic to Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and adjacent islets; Loxosceles bentejui sp. nov. and Loxosceles tazarte sp. nov. both endemic to Gran Canaria; Loxosceles guayota sp. nov. and Loxosceles tibicena sp. nov. both endemic to Tenerife; and Loxosceles hupalupa sp. nov. endemic to La Gomera and El Hierro. These new species are included in the Loxosceles rufescens group, and are clearly distinguished from L. rufescens by a conspicuous dark V-mark posteriorly on the pars cephalica, the embolus length, and the shape of seminal receptacles. Given that a crucial step for the development of proper health management is the correct identification of the species involved in bite accidents, we additionally tested the efficacy of DNA barcoding as a fast and reliable tool for identifying the Loxosceles species found in the Canary Islands, including the human-introduced L. rufescens.