THE AGELENID FUNNEL-WEAVER FAMILY AND THE SPIDER GENUS CEDICUS IN ISRAEL (ARANEAE, AGELENIDAE AND CYBAEIDAE)

The funnel-weaver spiders of the family Agelenidae in Israel are revis ed along with spiders of the excluded genus Cedicus, here placed in th e Cybaeidae. Although the webs are conspicuous and abundant only very few members of these families have been reported thus far from the Eas t Mediterranean fauna. Altogether 19 species of agelenids are describe d with detailed diagnostic illustrations, including eight new records and six species new to science. With the biological and zoogeographica l information revised and all type and non-type material pertinent to the fauna reexamined, the occurrence of Lycosoides and Maimuna in the Middle East has been verified while Textrix is absent. Agelena is repr esented only by a single species. Two Mediterranean species are newly placed in Benoitia, and a new genus Agelescape has been erected to acc ommodate three species. Tegenaria proves to be the largest indigenous genus and includes some of the long-legged spiders in Israel. The rela tionships of Cedicus and its two species in Israel are addressed. The new species described are: Agelescape gideoni, Maimuna carmelica, M. m eronis, Tegenaria mediterranea, T. epacris, T. angustipalpis and Cedic us israeliensis. (C) 1996 The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters