In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALEBody: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Europe. Eastern Europe & Asia.FEMALECephalothorax light yellow, with contrasting blackish eye field and diamond shaped blackish spot on posterior slope of thorax, covered with long adpressed scales which additionally differentiate coloration: anterior half of eye field is covered with striking white scales which give white appearance (on second specimen these are lost, leaving entirely blackish eye field with a few white scales), posterior half with dark scales; anterior thorax fawn, again with large white scales, but sides with sparse and much smaller inconspicuous scales. Ventral edge light fawn, without striking belts of setae. Abdomen dark with intensely white median longitudinal streak anteriorly meeting a transverse white belt, together making T-like pattern (the tip of the median streak protruding through the transverse one may be also compared to a white arrowhead); there are thin traces of a second transverse bar, more posteriorly, at about mid-length of abdomen; anterior marginal white line merges with white sides of abdomen. In the Negev specimens abdomen described as whitish with broad, uninterrupted dark pigmented submarginal oval ring, covered with brown adpressed setae, encircling median white area covered with white scales; there is a small enlargement of that area slightly behind mid-length, resembling a pair of non separated white spots on the dark marginal ring; there is no connection between external white margin and central white area in two specimens from the Negev (for specimens from other areas, that pattern was described as white "T" on dark background). Sides white, spinnerets dark with white setae on tip. Frontal aspect: dark upper face contrasts with light fawn tegument of lower part of face, densely covered with broad white scales, also overhanging the clypeal edge, which is bald laterally. Chelicerae fawn without transverse ridges, pedipalps thin and light. Legs I fawn with lateral surfaces of tibia, metatarsus and patella brown, but femur I distinctly lighter. Legs II-IV light yellow. Ventral aspect: sternum and coxae light fawn to yellow; abdomen uniformly whitish. Epigynum: median furrow short, narrow (about 1/5th of epigynum diameter), its posterior ridges arching diagonally behind round grooves with sclerotized slits of copulatory openings, lacking transverse part, which is unique in the genus; prominent sclerotized ridges in front of copulatory opening, not seen in other species. Measurements (mm). Female. Length of cephalothorax 1.87; length of abdomen 1.15; length of 5 segments of leg I 2.96. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge recurve. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Europe. Eastern Europe & Asia. COMMENTSDiagnosis. Female cephalothorax light with dark diamond shaped spot on posterior slope of thorax, legs I light, with lateral surfaces of patella - tarsus I fawn. Epigynum: median furrow short, narrow (about 1/5th of epigynum diameter), posterior ridges arching diagonally, lacking transverse parts; prominent sclerotized ridges in front of copulatory opening. Remarks. Drawing of male holotype of this species provided by Logunov, Marusik and Rakov (1999: Fig. 121) does not seem identical with his drawing (Fig. 111, ibidem) of P. epularis from Central Asia, so synonymy of these forms does not seem convincing. There seem to be a group of closely related species, consisting of, among others, from P. epularis, P. maderianus, P. nigrociliatus, P. simoni, with minute differences in tip of embolus, difficult to interpretation. Identification of these species require preliminary study of colour pattern differences and individual variation in local populations.Remarks. A few other species share the above described characters, with some variation. These are Pellenes tocharistanus Andreeva (1976: Figs 106-109) from Tadjikistan, and dark coloured "Pellenes semiater E. Simon, Auctor det. 1898. Mustapha, P. Lesne, MNHNParis" - a non type specimen. For the moment no comments on relationships of these forms can be offered. Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Females - V, VI, X. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |