关键词: 蜘蛛分类学, 土壤蜘蛛, 物种多样性, DNA条形码, 整合分类学

AbstractSpiders are among the most species-rich arthropod predators in terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial role in soil food webs. Due to their small body size, complex microhabitats, and high prevalence of cryptic species, soil spiders represent one of the most promising frontiers for future discoveries of spider diversity. In this review, we trace the historical development of spider taxonomy, outlining the evolution of classification systems from the Linnaean era to the present day. We analyze global and national patterns and recent trends in spider species descriptions, and further discuss the major challenges and future directions in the taxonomy of soil spiders. Our analysis reveals a substantial acceleration in spider taxonomic discoveries over the past five years, with Asia emerging as a global hotspot for new species discoveries. Notably, the contribution of China to newly described spider species has increased dramatically, rising from 4.0% in the 20th century to 32.67% during the past five years. However, the taxonomy of soil spiders continues to face several major challenges, including insufficient DNA barcode reference databases, the widespread occurrence of cryptic species, and a shortage of taxonomic expertise. The integration of integrative taxonomic approaches and the accumulation of molecular data are expected to greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of species identification, thereby advancing soil spider taxonomy into a new stage of development.

Key words: spider taxonomy, soil spiders, species diversity, DNA barcodes, integrative taxonomy