The lynx and nursery-web spider families in Israël (Araneae, Oxyopidae and Pisauridae) Gershom LEVY Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology The Hebrew University of Jérusalem Jérusalem 91904 (Israël) Levy G. 1999. — The lynx and nursery-web spider families in Israël (Araneae, Oxyopidae and Pisauridae). Zoosystema2\ (1) : 29-64. ABSTRACT The lynx spiders gênera Oxyopes Latreille, 1804 and Peucetia Thorell, 1869 and the nursery-web spiders of the gênera Pisaura Simon, 1885 and Rothus Simon, 1898 in Israël are revised. Thèse versatile hunters form a conspicuous component of the Middle East vegetation-dwelling spidet fauna. Oxyopes is represented by nine species. Only three out of thèse were formerly reported while the unknown female of one (O. sobrinus O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) is described here for the first time. Three are new species: O. nanulineatus, O. sinaiticus and O. mediterraneus, and three others constitute new records of species with tather disjunct distributions. Oxyopes optabdis O. P.-Cambridge, 1872 is newly synonymized with O. heterophtbalmus (Latreille, 1804), where- as O. attica Hadjissarantos, 1940, O. maracadensis Charitonov, 1946, and O. eymiri Katol, 1967 are new synonyms of O. globifer Simon, 1876. Peucetia was known from Israël only by P. virescens (O. P.-Cambridge, KEYWORDS 1872), however, the maie is illustrated hete for the fitst time. Two additional Araneae, Peucetia species form new records. The possibly endémie Pisaura consocia Oxyopes, Peucetia, (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) and the taxonomically problematic Palearctic Pisaura, P. mirabilis (Clerck, 1757) are addressed, and the fitst représentative in Asia Rothus, Middle East. of the African genus Rothus is described. ZOOSYSTEMA • 1999 • 21 (1) 29 Levy G. RÉSUMÉ Les familles d'araignées Oxyopidae et Pisauridae d'Israël. Les genres Oxyopes Latreille, 1804 et Peucetia Thorell, 1869 (araignées-lynx) ainsi que les genres Pisaura Simon, 1885 et Rothus Simon, 1898 (qui construisent des « toiles pouponniètes ») d'Israël sont révisés. Ces araignées prédatrices représentent une impottante pattie de la faune qui peuple les buissons du Moyen-Orient. Oxyopes est représenté par neuf espèces. Trois d'entre elles seulement étaient connues jusqu'ici. La femelle de O. sobrinus O. P.-Cambridge, 1872 est décrite ici pour la première fois. Trois nouvelles espèces sont également décrires : O. nanulineatus, O. sinaiticus et O. mediter- raneus. Trois autres ont été récoltées dans des aires où elles n'avaient pas été signalées auparavant. Oxyopes optabilis O. P.-Cambridge, 1872 a été récem­ ment reconnu synonyme de O. heterophtbalmus (Latreille, 1804), tandis que Oxyopes attica Hadjissarantos, 1940, O. maracadensis Chatitonov, 1946 et O. eymiri Karol, 1967 sont identifiées à O. globifer Simon, 1876. Le mâle de MOTS CLÉS Peucetia virescens (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) (seule espèce connue d'Israël Araneae, Oxyopes, jusqu'ici) est décrit pour la première fois. Deux espèces de Peucetia s'ajoutent Peucetia, à la liste. Pisaura consocia (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) probablement endé­ Pisaura, Rothus, mique, er l'espèce paléarctique P. mirabilis (Clerck, 1757) sont mentionnées Moyen-Orient. et le premier représentant en Asie du genre africain Rothus est décrit. INTRODUCTION the main spider communities of the low-shrub and herbaceous plants in Israël. Adults of the spider families Oxyopidae and Out of the twelve oxyopids known at présent Pisauridae in Israël are cursorial hunters that are from Israël only four have been previously recor- usually found among végétation. Ail are three- ded here. In addition three new species are des­ clawed and armed with serrated bristles for hand- cribed along with the unknown female of a ling silk and their young may construct webs at species described over 120 years ago. Five species certain stages. In tropical and southern parts of prove to be new records from Israël, in part new the world the adults of some members of thèse for the entire Middle East, providing clues for families are known as sedentary web-builders zoogeographic patterns reaching far beyond the (Lawrence 1964; Griswold 1983; for additional régional scope. Among the latter are records of références see Shear 1986). A possible evolutio- species known thus far only from Yémen or the nary shift from web weavers to hunters has been Badhyz Désert in Turkmenia. suggested by Rovner (1980) and further elabora- Considering the Israeli pisaurids thèse may blend ted by Jackson (1986). Each of the two families with the végétation by their colour but are easily comprises several hundred species in the world. detected while they seem to roll over a dispropor- With populations occasionally rather abundant, tionate large egg-sac held underneath their body they constitute an important component of the or by their often conspicuous nursery-webs. The vegetation-dwelling spider guild. The spider two Pisaura species found in Israël include a pos­ families considered here along with a former sible endémie. In addition the first occurrence in study on the funnel-weavers, the Agelenidae of Asia of a représentative of the African genus Israël (Levy 1996), provide an updated profile of Rothus is reported. 30 ZOOSYSTEMA • 1999 • 21 (1) Oxyopid and Pisaurid spiders from Israël MATERIAL AND METHODS SYSTEMATICS The présent study is based on material deposited Family OXYOPIDAE Thotell, 1870 in the collections of the Hebrew University of Jérusalem (HUJ). Localities in Israël are listed REMARKS from north to south and co-ordinates (Israël The lynx spiders are usually taken by sweeping grid) are given for less well-known places. végétation. They are easily recognized among the Drawings are of spécimens from Israël, unless plant-dwelling spiders by the many erect spines otherwise indicated. Measurements (mm) from on their legs and the peculiar hexagonal eye preserved adult spécimens, ten of each sex if avai- arrangement. The carapace is high and convex, lable, ate given and ranges are stated. The length sloping sharply at the sides and has a vertical cly- of the leg given is the combined length of ail seg­ peus in front. Ail possess eight eyes. Legs are ments (each measured separately) ftom fémur to with notched trochanters and thtee claws, two of tarsus; the more proximal segments ate excluded. them pectinate. They have thtee paits of spinne- The ptopottional indices used are given in rets and a colulus. The opisthosoma usually "Abbreviations" (see below). The leg formula tapers to a pointed end. Two gênera are présent indicates the longest leg by the first digit and the in Israël. shottest by the last. Taxonomic références to taxa include, among others, those accompanied Genus Oxyopes Latreille, 1804 by useful illustrations not listed in the current ataneological catalogues. TYPE SPECIES. — By monotypy: Oxyopes heterophthal- mus Latreille, 1804. DESCRIPTION ABBREVIATIONS Medium-sized spiders, usually less than 10 mm in HECO Hope Entomological Collections, body length. Blackish to light coloured, but not University Muséum, Oxford, U. K.; green, occasionally tinted with red. Integument HUJ Hebrew University of Jérusalem, densely covered with flattened scales and scattered Israël; MNHN Muséum national d'Histoire natu­ ordinary setae. Carapace longer than wide relle, Paris, France; (Fig. 1A). Anterior row of eyes strongly recurved NMW Natuthistotisches Muséum, with anterior-medians much smaller than ante- Vienna, Austria; rior-laterals (Fig. 1A, B). Posterior row of eyes SMF Natur-Museum und Forschungs- clearly procurved. Distance between anterior- Institut Senckenberg, Frankfurt, Germany; lateral eyes subequals distance between posterior- ZMUM Zoological Muséum of the Moscow median eyes (outlined rectangular, Fig. 1B). Eyes State University, Russia. of posterior row placed at subequal distances. Inner distance between posterior-median eyes AME anterior médian eye; carapace index length divised by width; much longer than diameter of a posterior-median clypeus index height of clypeus divided by diame- eye. Labium longer than wide and exceeded in tet of anterior médian eye; length by the palpai endites (Fig. 1D). Chelicerae MOQ Médian Ocular Quadrangle (mea­ usually with one promarginal and one retromar- sured in profile from frontal edges ginal tooth (Fig. 1E). Legs long and spinous. Leg of AME to hind edges of PME); MOQ/cly longitudinal axis of MOQ divided formula: IV, I, II, III or I, IV, II, III or I, II, IV, by clypeus height; III. Opisthosoma oval, often with a médian mark patella-tibia index combined length of both segments on dorsum and venter. Tibia of maie palpus short of leg-I divided by length of cara­ and armed with apophyses, sometimes markedly pace. enlarged (Fig. 2A, B); bulbus with médian, fleshy, PME posterior médian eyes; PM index space between PME eyes divided tegular outgrowth rising up to tip of embolus by diameter of one PME. (Figs 4A, B, 18A, B); no paracymbium. Female ZOOSYSTEMA • 1999 • 21 (1) 31 Levy G. epigynum usually with raised, tongue-like, tus, sobrinus and sinaiticus representing apparent- médian extension, often protruding in profde ly a common evolutionary line, differing from (Figs3A, B, 8A, B, 15A, B). that formed by globifer and mediterraneus, whe- reas heterophthalmus, pigmentatus and badhyzicus REMARKS belong each to a separate line. Over two hundred Oxyopes species, mainly from Distinctions by colours, found in old descrip­ the warmer parts of the world, are catalogued, tions are useless since nearly ail shades, from yel- but many are known only by their first descrip­ low to