A phylogenomic approach to a taxonomic revision: a combination, new synonymies, and a description of two new species within the camel spider genus Chanbria Muma, 1951 (Solifugae: Eremobatidae)

Abstract

This study summarizes the taxonomic treatment of the camel spider genus Chanbria Muma, 1951. Taking an integrative taxonomic approach incorporating phylogenomic, morphological, and geographical information, the genus is herein revised. Of the four species currently placed in the genus, two are retained: Chanbria regalis Muma, 1951 and Chanbria serpentinus Muma, 1951. Eremochelis plicatus (Muma, 1962) is transferred to this genus because it is consistently recovered in a clade with Chanbria based on several phylogenetic analyses using hundreds of loci recovered from ultraconserved element data. In this study, we re-analyse previously acquired genomic data to assess former species hypotheses and identify new morphological synapomorphies that support the monophyly of Chanbria. The genetic data support the synonymization of Chanbria rectus Muma, 1962 syn. nov. with C. regalis. Furthermore, we synonymize Chanbria tehachapianus Muma, 1962 syn. nov. with C. regalis because C. tehachapianus was erected based on limited morphological information and lack of geographical separation between other populations of C. regalis. Two new species, Chanbria brookharti sp. nov. and Chanbria mapemes sp. nov., are described. This brings the total number of species of Chanbria described to five recognized species: C. regalis, C. serpentinus, C. plicatus com. nov., C. brookharti sp. nov., and C. mapemes sp. nov.