Phylogeny and species diversity of the thomisid spiders in warm temperate forests of East Asia

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1. Research trips to southwestern Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, were conducted, and a good collection of the spiders was made.2. Specimens of the family Thomisidae deposited in the National Science Museum were morphologically and taxonomically studied. These materials were obtained not only from Japan but from East Asian countries, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and others, mainly at the expeditions supported by the Grants-in-Aid for Field Research of the Monbusho International Scientific Research Program. On the basis of the results of the study, some new informations were given about the phylogeny and species diversity of the thomisid spiders in East Asia, and six papers were published. The results are summarized in the following lines.3. The male of Xysticus transversomaculatus hitherto unknown was described for the first time [reference (1)]. A new species, Sanmenia kohi was described from Singapore. Occurring only in southeastern Asia, Sanmenia is a significant group to discuss the phylogeny of thomisid spiders [reference (2)]. The spider fauna of Fukushima Prefecture, northern Honshu, Japan, was discussed [reference (3)]. The occurrence of a Korean spider, Oxyptila nongae was recognized in Japan [reference (4)].4. The genus Tmarus was morphologically studied and explained in detail. Seven spesies belonging to three different species groups were recognized in Japan. Two new species of the genus were described from Iriomotejima Island, the Ryukyus, under the names, Tmarus komi and T.shimojanai. The former species is peculiar and belong to an unknown species group, which originated from southeastern Asia, while the latter species belong to the species group of Tmarus stellio and is related to T.makiharai described from Amami-oshima Island [reference (5) and (6)].