A phylogenetic and taxonomic review of baviine jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Baviini).

The systematics and taxonomy of the tropical Asian jumping spiders of the tribe Baviini is reviewed, with a molecular phylogenetic study (UCE sequence capture, traditional Sanger sequencing) guiding a reclassification of the group's genera. The well-studied members of the group are placed into six genera: Simon, 1877, Caleb & Sankaran, 2019, Simon, 1901, Thorell, 1895, Simon, 1885, and one new genus, Maddison, The identity of is clarified, and Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2018 synonymized with it. Strand, 1911 is synonymized with . The molecular phylogeny divides the baviines into three clades, the clade with a long embolus (, ), the genus with a flat body and short embolus, and the clade with a higher body and (usually) short embolus (remaining genera). In general, morphological synapomorphies support or extend the molecularly delimited groups. Eighteen new species are described: , , , , , , , , (type species of ), , , , , , , , , and , all , with taxonomic authority W. Maddison. The distinctions between baviines and the astioid Żabka, 1985 are reviewed, leading to four species being moved into from and other genera. Fifteen new combinations are established: (Freudenschuss & Seiter, 2016), (Simon, 1903), (Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2013), (Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1997), (Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2013), (Cao & Li, 2016), (Reimoser, 1929), (Thorell, 1881), (Keyserling, 1883), (Strand, 1911), (Cao & Li, 2016), (Simon, 1900), (Cao & Li, 2016), (Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2018), (Strand, 1911), all One combination is restored, (C. L. Koch, 1846). Five of these new or restored combinations correct previous errors of placing species in genera that have superficially similar palps but extremely different body forms, in fact belonging in distantly related tribes, emphasizing that the general shape of male palps should be used with caution in determining relationships. A little-studied genus, Prószyński, 2018, is tentatively assigned to the Baviini. Thorell, 1895 is assigned to the Ballini.