In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax: brown with black encircled eyes lateral and two black spots on the middle of eye field; sparse whitish setae over cephalothorax, slightly denser between eyes I on anterior edge of eye field; no contrasting spots or marks, ventral edge dark without fringe of white setae.Abdomen: greyish brown with indistinct pattern, posterior triangle of abdomen darker brown with indistinct narrow white indentation laterally; two pairs of indistinct transverse white lines in approximately 3/6 and 4/6 of abdomen length, as well as indistinct median lighter streak with two grey narrow chevrons in its posterior half. Frontal aspect: face fawn, without contrasting features, eyes I surrounded with colourless scales, more whitish dorsally; clypeus almost completely reduced under AME; chelicerae and pedipalps dark yellow, leg I brown. Ventral aspect: yellow with chelicerae, coxa and trochanter I, light brownish yellow. Leg I: brown, strongly sclerotized, typical for Pseudicius, tibia I with two short ventro-prolateral spines in apical half, none retrolatero- ventrally. Legs II–IV: thinner uniformly greyish yellow. Palpal organ: bulbus oval elongate with triangular lateral protuberance large but smaller than in Pseudicius braunsi of South Africa (cf. Prószyński 1987: 53); embolus long, arising in the 5-o’clock position (in Pseudicius wadis in the 8-o’clock position) encircling bulbus posteriorly then running along its side and ending in front of it; tibial apophysis long, as long as bulbus. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Embolus: Shape: wrapped < 1 around bulbus. Legs: Leg formula: 1-4-3-2. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. FEMALECephalothorax: brown with black encircled eyes lateral and two black spots on the middle of eye field; sparse whitish setae over cephalothorax, slightly denser between eyes I on anterior edge of eye field; no contrasting spots or marks, ventral edge dark without fringe of white setae; lower sides of cephalothorax somewhat lighter yellow than in P. wadis.Abdomen: greyish brown, its characteristic features are two pairs of indistinct transverse white lines at approximately 3/6 and 4/6 of abdomen length, as well as indistinct median lighter streak with two narrow grey chevrons in its posterior half; posterior brown triangle of abdomen darker, light reflecting, much more conspicuous than in male; there are laterall, short and narrow white spots. Frontal aspect: face fawn, eyes I surrounded by narrow orbits of white setae, clypeus very low, covered with whitish setae, setae overhanging cheliceral bases whitish; chelicerae and pedipalps yellow, leg I yellow; in P. wadis orbits of white setae around eyes I appear more conspicuous, setae on clypeus and overhanging cheliceral bases strikingly white. Leg I: yellow, more robust than remaining but difference less striking than in male, slightly shorter than legs IV. Legs II–IV: whitish yellow. Epigynum: characterized by anterior location of pockets (whose spacing varies considerably among 6 studied F), their distance from the posterior edge equal to twice length of median spermathecal channels; copulatory opening quite long and clearly visible, channel of the accessory gland long, running laterally to epigynum, also anterior location of terminal triangles of spermathecae. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Legs: Leg formula: 1-4-3-2. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. Resembles Pseudicius wadis, differs by abdominal pattern with two pairs of indistinct transverse white lines, as well as indistinct median lighter streak with two grey narrow chevrons in its posterior half; tibial apophysis thinner, bent dorsally in apical quarter, embolus in the 5 o’clock position, spermatheca longer than median loop of channel.Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males – III; females – III, IV. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |