In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax light fawn to light brown, eye field with two black spots in anterior half and with blackish margins; sides in female lighter, covered with whitish adpressed setae, edge of carapace black.´Abdomen grey, striking by unusual pair of broad, rectangular, transverse white spots near the middle of abdomen, also a pair of small submarginal white spots at the 3/4 of abdomen length; anterior edge white. Frontal aspect: in male brown without white setae, lack of dense white setae across clypeus, AME surrounded ventrally with fawn, dorsally with white setae, spots of white setae between AME at the anterior edge of eye field more conspicuous than in P. asoroticus; in female densely covered with thick white setae, pedipalps whitish, chelicerae and legs I yellow. Ventral aspect: sternum yellow, coxae whitish, abdomen whitish; legs I are darker in male. Palpal organ: bulbus oval without lateral protuberance (cf. Prószyński 1993: Figs 65–66), embolus arising in the 8-o’clock position, shorter than in P. asoroticus; tibial apophysis intermediate between P. mikhailovi and P. tamaricis, with small hook apically. Measurements (mm). Length of cephalothorax 1.38; length of abdomen 1.62; length of 5 segments of leg I 2.67. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Afrika. Middle East. FEMALECephalothorax light fawn to light brown, eye field with two black spots in anterior half and with blackish margins; sides in female lighter, covered with whitish adpressed setae, edge of carapace black. Abdomen grey, striking by unusual pair of broad, rectangular, transverse white spots near the middle of abdomen, also a pair of small submarginal white spots at the 3/4 of abdomen length; anterior edge white. Frontal aspect: in male brown without white setae, lack of dense white setae across clypeus, AME surrounded ventrally with fawn, dorsally with white setae, spots of white setae between AME at the anterior edge of eye field more conspicuous than in P. asoroticus; in female densely covered with thick white setae, pedipalps whitish, chelicerae and legs I yellow. Ventral aspect: sternum yellow, coxae whitish, abdomen whitish; legs I are darker in male. Epigynum: striking by particularly long straight channel loop running medially along whole length of epigynum, reaching the anteriorly located pockets, in other species homologous loop ends in the mid-length of epigynum; spermathecae located dorsally to loops, shorter, extending along half the length of loops. Measurements (mm). Male. Length of cephalothorax 1.38; length of abdomen 1.62; length of 5 segments of leg I 2.67.© PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Afrika. Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. A pair of large transverse, almost rectangular white spots in middle of abdomen; tibial apophysis semi-diagonal, with minute, narrower hook apically, epigynum medially with long, straight channel loops.Remark. A light on behaviour and environmental requirements of this species was thrown by Dr Yael Lubin, who collected 14 males and 9 females, often 3–5 specimens together, inside legumen silicles of Accacia trees, in Nahal Zin, in January 1995. Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males – I, III; females – I, III. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |