Tegenaria epacris Levy, 1996
Tegenaria epacris is one of four species of Troglophilic funnel spiders (Agelenidae) recorded from a few cave entrances in northern Israel.
Tegenaria epacris does not exhibit any troglomorphic traits. In contrast with the troglobitic Tegenaria species, its eyes are fully developed and the body coloration is fairly dark. This species is closely related to other troglophilic Tegenaria species, such as Tegenaria pagana, but only distantly related to the troglobitic species, often inhabiting deeper regions of the same caves as Tegenaria epacrs.
Known distribution of Tegenaria epacris
photo by: Shlomi Aharon
Accession in GENBANK:
Accession in the World Spider Catalog:
Articles about Tegenaria epacris:
Levy, G. (1996). The agelenid funnel‐weaver family and the spider genus Cedicus in Israel (Araneae, Agelenidae and Cybaeidae). Zoologica Scripta, 25(2), 85-122.
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: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107705
Taxonomic Classification
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Agelenidae
Genus: Tegenaria
Species: Tegenaria epacris
Authors: Levy, 1996
Ecological Classification
Category: Troglophile
Cave zone: Entrance
Microhabitat: Near floor, near rocks