A multilocus molecular phylogeny of the endemic North American camel spider family Eremobatidae (Arachnida: Solifugae)

Nine new species of the Eremobates scaber species group of the North American camel spider genus Eremobates (Solifugae, Eremobatidae)

“…We also produced a phylogeny of this species group based on morphological characters, the first for any solifuge taxon. In the Cushing et al (2015) analysis, the E. scaber species group clade (which included H. sevilleta) was strongly supported in both the Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses.…”

“…Cushing et al (2015) produced a backbone molecular phylogeny of the Eremobatidae that supported the monophyly of several genera and species groups within the family. The Eremobates scaber species group was well supported but was made paraphyletic with respect to Hemerotrecha sevilleta Brookhart & Cushing 2002(Cushing et al 2015. However, the H. sevilleta specimen used in that analysis was missing data and none of the available specimens of this species of Hemerotrecha was well preserved.…”

“…In recent years, our lab has focused on the phylogeny, biology, and natural history of the North American family Eremobatidae Kraepelin 1899 (Brookhart & Cushing 2002Cushing et al 2005Cushing et al , 2014Cushing et al , 2015Conrad & Cushing 2011;Cushing & Casto 2012). Cushing et al (2015) produced a backbone molecular phylogeny of the Eremobatidae that supported the monophyly of several genera and species groups within the family. The Eremobates scaber species group was well supported but was made paraphyletic with respect to Hemerotrecha sevilleta Brookhart & Cushing 2002(Cushing et al 2015.…”

“…1C) with species distinguished by differences in the medial margins. In their molecular phylogenetic analysis of Eremobatidae, Cushing et al (2015) found that the E. scaber species group was phylogenetically and geographically cohesive. This species group diversified during the Pliocene (Cushing et al 2015).…”

“…In their molecular phylogenetic analysis of Eremobatidae, Cushing et al (2015) found that the E. scaber species group was phylogenetically and geographically cohesive. This species group diversified during the Pliocene (Cushing et al 2015). Increasing aridification in the middle Miocene and beyond is thought to have generated a large, contiguous expanse of proto-desert across what is now the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts (Morafka 1977) and likely led to the diversification of many arid-adapted taxa, including many species of solifuges (Cushing et al 2015).…”