The Ebo-like running crab spiders in the Old World (Araneae, Philodromidae)

Abstract

A recent phylogenetic analysis within Philodromidae has shown that Ebo, in its current limits, is a paraphyletic assemblage of spiders characterized by a strongly elongated second pair of legs and by enlarged anterior median eyes. Here a generic revision of Ebo-like philodromid spiders is provided, with the genera Ebo, Titanebo (re-elevated to genus rank), Halodromus gen. n. and Philodromus ad part. (the histrio species group = Rhysodromus) being redefined and diagnosed. Ebo and Titanebo are Nearctic taxa whose occurrence in the Old World remains doubtful. Old World species with a long patellar apophysis on the male palp are included in Halodromus gen. n. (H. patellaris (Wunderlich, 1987), H. patellidens (Levy, 1977), both ex. Ebo). Three new species are described from both sexes, Halodromus barbarae sp. n. from the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and Spain, H. deltshevi sp. n. from Yemen, and H. gershomi sp. n. from Eritrea. Ebo eremus Levy, 1999 is a new subjective synonym of Halodromus patellaris (Wunderlich, 1987). Halodromus is presumably an Afro-Syrian element with wide distribution in the Eremial of northern Africa and the Middle East. The Israeli species Philodromus halophilus (Levy, 1977), comb. n. ex. Ebo is transferred to the Philodromus histrio species group.