THE GROUND-SPIDER GENERA SETAPHIS, TRACHYZELOTES, ZELOTES, AND DRASSYLLUS (ARANEAE, GNAPHOSIDAE) IN ISRAEL

Gnaphosid spiders from Israel of the genera Setaphis, Trachyzelotes, t he species-rich Zelotes, and Drassyllus have been revised. Thirty-six species, more than in the whole of Central Europe, are recognized, inc luding 16 species new to science and six that have never before been r ecorded from this region. All types and pertinent non-type material de posited in a great number of European collections have been re-examine d, and the systematics, ecology, and the zoogeographic distribution of all taxa treated are discussed. Many species have never been adequate ly described, and detailed illustrations of diagnostic characters alon g with updated records are provided for each species. The following ne w synonyms are defined: Zelotes longestylus (Caporiacco, 1936), Z. cap oriaccoi Roewer, 1951, and Z. stylus Di France, 1992 = Setaphis fuscip es (Simon, 1885); Zelotes costatus Denis, 1952 = Trachyzelotes bardiae (Caporiacco, 1928) new combination; Zelotes inauratus (O.P.-Cambridge , 1872) and Z. tristiculus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1874) = Zelotes laetus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872); Zelotes picinus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1872), Z. scutat us (O.P.-Cambridge, 1872), Z. curinus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1874), Setaphis bicolor Simon, 1908, Drassodes cofiniotes Roewer, 1928, and Zelotes s implex Denis, 1937 = Zelotes scrutatus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1872) new comb ination; Zelotes pyrethri (Strand, 1915) = Zelotes tenuis (L. Koch, 18 66); Scotophaeus blepharotrichus Strand, 1915 = Zelotes rusticus (L. K och, 1872); Drassodes citipes Simon, 1893 and D. lutorius Tullgren, 19 10, in part: fig. 15b = Zelotes infumatus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1872) new c ombination. The new species described are: Zelotes xerophilus, Z. erem us, Z. galuni, Z. meronensis, Z. bashaneus, Z. parascrutatus, Z. tin, Z. shaked, Z. bokerensis, Z. hierosolymitanus, Z. solstitialis, Z. inc isupalpis, Z. aradensis, Z. helvoloides, Z. sumchi, and Drassyllus jub atopalpis.