Single-Island Endemism despite Repeated Dispersal in Caribbean Micrathena (Araneae: Araneidae): An Updated Phylogeographic Analysis

Island biogeographers have long sought to elucidate the mechanisms behind biodiversity genesis. The Caribbean presents a unique stage on which to analyze the diversification process, due to the geologic diversity among the islands and the rich biotic diversity with high levels of island endemism. The colonization of such islands may reflect geologic heterogeneity through vicariant processes and/ or involve long-distance overwater dispersal. Here, we explore the phylogeography of the Caribbean and proximal mainland spiny orbweavers (Micrathena, Araneae), an American spider lineage that is the most diverse in the tropics and is found throughout the Caribbean. We specifically test whether the vicariant colonization via the contested GAARlandia landbridge (putatively emergent 33-35 mya), long-distance dispersal (LDD), or both processes best explain the modern Micrathena distribution. We reconstruct the phylogeny and test biogeographic hypotheses using a 'target gene approach' with three molecular markers (CO1, ITS-2, and 16S rRNA). Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the genus but reject the monophyly of Caribbean Micrathena. Biogeographical analyses support five independent colonizations of the region via multiple overwater dispersal events, primarily from North/Central America, although the genus is South American in origin. There is no evidence for dispersal to the Greater Antilles during the timespan of GAARlandia. Our phylogeny implies greater species richness in the Caribbean than previously known, with two putative species of M. forcipata that are each single-island endemics, as well as deep divergences between the Mexican and Floridian M. sagittata. Micrathena is an unusual lineage among arachnids, having colonized the Caribbean multiple times via overwater dispersal after the submergence of GAARlandia. On the other hand, single-island endemism and undiscovered diversity are nearly universal among all but the most dispersal-prone arachnid groups in the Caribbean.

Automated summary

This study explores the phylogeography of the Caribbean and proximal mainland spiny orbweavers and suggests that overwater dispersal primarily from North/Central America has led to multiple independent colonizations of the region. The findings highlight the greater species richness of Micrathena in the Caribbean than previously known.