In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax integument dark brown, anteriorly blackish, with variable setae pattern: darker areas on upper sides, marginally on dorsal surface of thorax and marginally on eye field covered by colourless setae with small addition of light brownish setae; remaining areas light covered with dense, long whitish, adpressed setae; intense white setae on lancet shaped median spot, behind postero-dorsal rim of eyes III, beneath eyes II and on broad marginal white band along ventral edge of carapace.Abdomen densely covered with white, whitish and less numerous colourless setae; there is an indistinct pattern of lighter spots and darker areas due to different pigmentation of tegument: darker median streak along anterior half, delimited anteriorly by more intense white lateral streaks, a pair of transverse light spots in posterior half and median lighter streak along posterior third of abdomen; remaining parts of dorsal surface pigmented greyish beneath whitish setae; sides intensely white, forming wavy limit of greyish dorsal surface. Spinnerets blackish brown. Frontal aspect: integument brown, anterior eye field in this position appears covered by adpressed yellowish setae, with a larger patch of white setae further on in the central area of the field; AME surrounded by yellowish setae, ALE dorsally by yellowish and white, ventrally by white setae, facial surface beneath ALE with thin adpressed yellowish setae extending from sides; ventral edge of clypeus with single row of long white setae directed diagonally ventrally, continuous with lateral marginal band, under AME much longer and arranged into a triangle. Chelicerae blackish brown; cymbium blackish brown with short colourless and inconspicuous setae. Palpal tibia with prolateral part rounded, dark yellow, retrolateral part is heavily sclerotized and blackish brown, surrounding large cavity between cymbium and apophysis; there is a row of long colourless setae prolaterally on cymbium and tibia; patella dorsally light brown with blackish median spur, becoming gradually darker basally; femur semicrescent shaped, swollen apically, but without spine-like protuberance, dark with long and dense. intensely white setae. Ventral halves of prolateral surfaces of femur and tibia I black, remaining part dark brown, dorsally lighter brown, incomplete darker rings apically on tibia and metatarsus. Legs dark yellow with contrasting dark brown annulation, lateral surfaces of femora grey, legs I much darker brown, small irregular spots on dorsal surfaces. Ventral aspect: sternum light with margins surrounded by a row of setae; coxae I-IV light yellow suffused with grey; labium and maxillary plates dark brown; abdomen whitish with darker grey median streak, brown spot corresponding to epigynum in females. Palpal organ: pedipalpal femur without basal ventral protuberance, resembles M. bivittatus by presence of large cavity between cymbium and apophyses of pedipalpal tibia postero-retrolaterally, surrounded by heavily sclerotized and blackish brown tegument. Differs from M. bivittatus by tibia shorter and broader, cymbium situated prolaterally on a broad process, narrow double apophyses of equal length, extending along main axis of segment and pointing anteriorly, their apexes appearing rounded in lateral view, but pointed in ventral and dorsal views. Bet Shemesh (Har Tuv) specimen has dorsal ramus of apophysis longer, broader and rounded, while the ventral one is slightly bent and pointed; triangular fleshy stem of embolus is longer and narrower, white plate under embolus longer, its tip triangular. © PRÓSZYŃSKI, 2003 Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Europe. Afrika. Middle East. FEMALECephalothorax: tegument blackish, covered with striking white adpressed setae, most dense on eye field, particularly between eyes III, along median line of thorax and on ventral marginal bands; thinner, sparser and less intensely white setae on upper sides and dorsal edges of thorax makes these parts appear somewhat darker. Abdomen: elongate oval, narrowing at both ends; thin white margin encircling grey dorsal surface with darker brown thin borders, light median longitudinal streak connected with a pair of light submarginal spots at 3/5 of length (somewhat resembling Hasarius adansoni) and a thin whitish chevron, broadly opened and with long arms; sides and ventral surface whitish; spinnerets blackish brown. Frontal aspect: anterior eye field appears in this position densely covered by adpressed white setae, with a few yellowish ones; eyes I surrounded with long white setae, ALE laterally with small addition of a few yellowish setae, facial surface beneath ALE covered entirely by dense white setae extending from sides; ventral edge of clypeus with long white setae, directed diagonally and ventrally, a few anteriorly, these under AME arranged into a triangle and much longer. Chelicerae blackish brown; pedipalpal segments distally yellow, basally light brown, tarsus entirely light brown, all covered with long white setae laterally. Leg I light brown with darker brown incomplete annulation on patella, tibia and metatarsus; prolateral surface of femur brown, densely covered with short adpressed whitish setae. Legs: whitish yellow with contrasting dark annulation, lateral surfaces of femora light. Ventral aspect: sternum blackish brown, posteriorly lighter brown, its margins surrounded by a row of dense horizontal white setae, a few on the surface of sternum; coxae I-II whitish yellow, III-IV still more whitish; labium and maxillary plates blackish brown; abdomen whitish grey, central rectangle separated from sides by a thin, lighter line. Epigynum with sclerotized posterior edge, without "pockets" visible; grooves indistinct, broadly separated (1/3 of epigynum width, or more); copulatory openings on the surface, near the anterior edge of epigynum, without sclerotized roof: spermathecae extend along almost whole length of epigynum in Jerusalem specimens; however, they are shorter, stretching along half epigynum length in the aberrant specimen from Daphna. © PRÓSZYŃSKI, 2003Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Europe. Afrika. Middle East. COMMENTSBiological observation. A male in a Petri dish changed behaviour when smellig female hidden in an open glass tube. Display of male at encounter consisted of raising anterior part of cephalothorax with legs drawn back, first pair raised above ground and bent at patellar joint - a "crab like" posture, pedipalps (cymbium dark, tibia and patella striking white) kept close to chelicerae. Advancing towards female, male raises first pair of legs "V"-like, diagonally high above the head, forwards and laterally; female responds by a few quick short jumps (5 mm) towards male, then runs away. All this was repeated after several minutes. In one instant male and female were facing one another very closely, their first legs stretched diagonally above and touching, but they separated. Kept in a closed Petri dish for a few days the pair performed such encounters many times each day, then after some time separating and taking hours of rest. Finally I found female devouring male, but I do not know whether they had already copulated. Repetitions of such encounters and display indicate their mutual interest, so presumably they are conspecific.Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males - IV, V, VI; females - III, IV, V, VI, VII. © PRÓSZYŃSKI, 2003 |