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.
Highlights
Ebo is a diverse genus of philodromid spiders in North America (Keyserling 1884; Sauer and Platnick 1972)
A close examination of morphometrics, leg spination as well as male and female genitalia has clearly demonstrated the polyphyletic character of Ebo as hitherto delineated
The remaining species from the Old World are either transferred to the Philodromus histrio group or to the new genus Halodromus, which is characterized by at least one putative autapomorphy, the long apophysis at the patella of the male palp
Summary
Ebo is a diverse genus of philodromid spiders in North America (Keyserling 1884; Sauer and Platnick 1972). The above mentioned combination of characters is found in other taxa of Philodromidae, e.g. in most species of the Philodromus histrio group (Dondale and Redner 1975; Szita and Logunov 2008) It seems that elongation of leg II and enlargement of the AME coevolved independently several times within the family, and Ebo apparently became a paraphyletic taxon through inclusion of the Old World species.
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