Phylogeny and historical biogeography of ancient assassin spiders (Araneae: Archaeidae) in the Australian mesic zone: Evidence for Miocene speciation within Tertiary refugia

► We tested the phylogeny and vicariant biogeography of Archaeidae across mesic Australia. ► We used a multi-locus approach for phylogenetic inference and divergence date estimation. ► Molecular phylogenetic results show three major lineages which diverged in the early Tertiary. ► Speciation in major lineages occurred throughout the Miocene due to the fragmentation of mesic refugia. ► Archaeidae are proposed as a useful new group for testing biogeographic processes in mesic Australia.