In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax: uniformly mat black, covered densely with short, adpressed black setae, on some specimens with very sparsely scattered white ones, not influencing general coloration, without any colour or white spots. Anterior slope of eye field without any scales (but with sparse long black bristles), deep black; ventral edge of carapace black, without any white line along ventral edge. Profile of cephalothorax is dorsally rounded, with eyes III located on the highest point.Femora dorsally fawn with dark median line, lateral surfaces darker brown, covered with adpressed whitish setae. Abdomen covered uniformly with silver adpressed setae on dark tegument, sparser medially in anterior half and only a few apically, making these areas gradually darker; longer upright bristles, sparse and thin but covering the whole surface of abdomen quite regularly. Ventral appearance. Mouthparts blackish with yellow spots on maxillae. Anterior surfaces of coxae dark grey, posterior surfaces yellow. Sternum black, in some specimens with contrasting, irregular, narrow yellowish margin. Abdomen ventrally dark greyish, with whitish setae. Frontal aspect black, orbital setae around AME dorsally black, ventrally inconspicuous possibly colourless; around ALE dorsally black, "cheek" area under ALE dark brown and bald; clypeus almost bald with inconspicuous sparse longer dark setae overhanging cheliceral bases, crossed with white bristles on pedipalpal femur. Diameter of ALE = 2/3 of AME, set 1/2 diameter of ALE above dorsal rim of AME. Pedipalps: basal half of femur dorsally black, with white antero-dorsal tip and with intensely white setae, spreading fan-like. Patella and tibia yellow - bearing fans of long yellowish white setae, strikingly contrasting with black face. Cymbium latero-basally blackish, apically yellowish, with dense, white setae. Tibial apophyses comparable with those in Ae. aeruginosus, but the ventral one is slightly more bent (Fig. 720). Ventral apophysis is a broad bent sclerotized triangle, dorsal one is a whitish triangular protuberance of dorsal edge of tibia; dorsally presents a notch between ventral and triangularly shaped apical dorsal edge (passing into thin whitish and semitransparent, poorly visible pointed end); this character has not been studied in related species but presumably may be similar. Bulbus narrower than Ae. aeruginosus and devoid of lateral, triangular protuberance, laterally more extended, patella yellow with thin blackish grey line around apical rim; femur with long whitish setae, apically yellow, basally dark grey, on lateral surface these grey areas stretch near to apical end. Legs: I generally brown with lighter dorsal surface of patella, II-IV gradually lighter with yellow and brown annuli; femora I-IV with dorsal surfaces lighter and thin median longitudinal line. There is a retrolateral fringe of sparse white setae on brown tarsus and metatarsus I and on fawn tibia and patella I. Femur I variable in various specimens, from blackish to light, in some dorsal fawn surface bisected by a thin darker median longitudinal line, lighter areas expanding onto part of lateral surface but with remaining lower retrolateral surface dark with two lighter oval spots near ventral edge; there are whitish adpressed setae on prolateral surface changing into mane of longer white setae along ventral edge; setae on retrolateral surface are white in some specimens, in other with a few dark setae arranged transversally in the mid length of femur; there is also a thin dark ring basally with a few adpressed dark setae running transversally, continuous with similarly coloured trochanter. Measurement (in mm and % of length of cephalothorax): length of cephalothorax 2 mm = 100%, length of eye field 0.84 = 42%, width of eye field at eyes I 1,28 = 64%, height of cephalothorax 0,96 = 48 %, length of abdomen 1.76 = 88%. Measurement of 5 segments of legs (in mm): I 0.56+0.56+0.68+0.64+0.88 = 3.32 - 100%, II 0.48+ 0.48+0.64+0.64+1.04 = 3.28 - 99%, III 0.64+0.88+ 0.72+0.72+1.28 = 4,24 - 128%, IV 0.64+0.92+0.8+ 0.8+1.28 = 4.45 - 134%. Leg order: IV -134%, III - 128%, I - 100%, II - 99%. Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: longer than wide. Legs: Leg formula: 3-4-1-2. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis.Male cephalothorax mat black, covered with sparse, adpressed black setae, almost invisible on black tegument. Contrasting white fans of setae on white pedipalpal patella and tibia; bulbus without lateral protuberance, cymbium black with sparse white setae.Legs dark, femora dorsally with two longitudinal yellow lines delimiting a median black one. Smaller than Ae. bokerinus Remark. Apparently rare, a few specimens collected near Sede Boker. Etymology. Named for Nabataeans - ancient inhabitants of this area, ruins of whose town remains at Avdat, a few kilometers from the collecting place. |