Tegenaria yotami Aharon & Gavish-Regev, 2023
Tegenaria yotami is one of seven species of Troglobitic funnel spiders (Agelenidae) currently known from Israel. It is recorded from the Soreq cave, in the judean mountains.
Tegenaria yotami exhibits troglomorphic traits: discoloration and reduced eyes. The species is lacking the anterior median eyes. All eyes are highly reduced and pigmentless.
Hunting in this species is accomplished similarly to other agelenids: with a horizontal funnel web.
This species is very similar to the other troglobitic Tegenaria species in Israel, and distinguished by using genital characters. The sister species of Tegenaria yotami is Tegenaria yaaranford, from the nearby Te'omim cave.
Taxonomic Classification
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Agelenidae
Genus: Tegenaria
Species: Tegenaria yotami
Authors: Aharon & Gavish- Regev, 2023
photo by: Shlomi Aharon
Cephalothorax, frontal view
Distribution map
Articles about Tegenaria yotami:
Aharon, S., Ballesteros, J. A., Gainett, G., Hawlena, D., Sharma, P. P., & Gavish-Regev, E. (2023). In the land of the blind: exceptional subterranean speciation of cryptic troglobitic spiders of the genus Tegenaria (Araneae: Agelenidae) in Israel. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 107705.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107705
Ecological Classification
Category: Troglobite
Cave zone: Dark
Microhabitat: Near floor, near rocks