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Issue: Vol. 4979 No. 1: 28 May 2021
Type: Review
Published: 2021-05-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4979.1.14
Page range: 131–146
Abstract views: 491
PDF downloaded: 252

Twenty years, eight legs, one concept: describing spider biodiversity in Zootaxa (Arachnida: Araneae)

Senckenberg Research Institute, Arachnology, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
Department of Evolutionary biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research institute, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;
Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, U.S.A.;
Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia;
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Coordenação de Zoologia, Laboratório de Aracnologia, Avenida Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, CEP: 66077-830, Belém, Pará, Brazil;
Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa;
Zoological Museum, Center of Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany;
Department of Biology, The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20052, U.S.A.;
Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva (DEBE), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), campus São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil;
Private researcher, Neukamp 29, 18581 Putbus, Germany;
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. CEP 31270-901.
Araneae Arachnology biodiversity taxonomy systematics new species new genera scientific journal

Abstract

Zootaxa published more than a thousand papers on Araneae from 2002 to the present, including descriptions of 3,833 new spider species and 177 new genera. Here we summarise the key contributions of Zootaxa to our current knowledge of global spider diversity. We provide a historical account of the researchers that have actively participated as editors, and recognize the more than 1,000 reviewers without whom none of this would have been possible. We conduct a simple analysis of the contributions by authors and geographic region, which allows us to uncover some of the underlying trends in current spider taxonomy. In addition, we examine some of the milestones in twenty years of spider systematic research in Zootaxa. Finally, we discuss future prospects of spider taxonomy and the role that Zootaxa and its younger sister journal Megataxa will play in it. We would like to dedicate this contribution to the memory of Norman I. Platnick, a crucial figure in the advancement of spider systematics.

 

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