Dissecting a Geographical Colourful Tapestry: Phylogeography of the Colour Polymorphic Spider Gasteracantha cancriformis

Species with large distributions provide unique opportunities to test how geography has influenced biotic diversification. In this work, we aimed explore the effect of geographic barriers on distribution phenotypic and genetic variation a spider species that is widespread in continental insular America. We obtained an alignment mitochondrial locus Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) for 408 individuals across range Gasteracantha cancriformis. used phylogenetics, population genetics, morphology species. found five genetically differentiated geographically structured populations. Three them are distributed America, separated by Andes mountains, two Caribbean Galapagos Islands. Some these clades shared haplotypes between them, which may be consequence dispersal. detected at least 20 phenotypes G. cancriformis, some were exclusive region, while others occurred multiple regions. did not observe well-defined morphological differences male genitalia. This evidence suggests cancriformis high should explored more depth.