The family-level placement of the species Pacificana cockayni Hogg, 1904 (Araneae, Miturgidae) has been ambiguous for over a century, with the monotypic genus initially placed in Agelenidae, later transferred to Amaurobioidinae (Anyphaenidae), and presently in Miturgidae. A recent work describing the male and molecular data consisting of a single mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, confirmed that the species is part of the marronoid clade; however, these data did not result in conclusive family-level placement. Here, we use low-coverage whole genome sequencing (lcWGS) combined with data from the Sequence Read Archive to infer a phylogeny from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and six legacy Sanger loci. Indications of potential family placements from prior work and the topologies from this study support a transfer of Pacificana Hogg, 1904 to Cycloctenidae Simon, 1898 (new family placement).
Gorneau, J. A., Cala-Riquelme, F., Crews, S. C., Montana, K. O., Spagna, J. C., Vink, C. J., & Esposito, L. A. (2024). Mystery on the Bounty: The family-level status of Pacificana cockayni Hogg, 1904 (Araneae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 108256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108256