Biogeography of the globally distributed Argiope trifasciata

We investigated the biogeographical structure of the banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata, which occurs on six continents across major climatic gradients and geographical boundaries. We hypothesized this to be a complex of cryptic species. Our results that its populations fall into five reciprocally monophyletic clades that are genetically distinct and have evolutionary origins in the Plio-Pleistocene.

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