In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax: tegument light reflecting, uniformly dark brown, eye field black, a few sparse colourless setae, no contrasting colour pattern. Abdomen: covered with uniformly blackish, light reflecting scutum, sparse colourless bright setae.Frontal aspect: uniformly dark brown without contrasting colour pattern, a few colourless setae on rims of eyes I; clypeus low, chelicerae and pedipalps brown; patella and tibia I with longitudinal median darker line. Palpal organ: bulbus broad, embolus makes a broad coil, basal part of embolus is very broad - embolus itself thin; apophysis inclined ventrally with protuberance on dorsal edge and minute tooth. Ventral aspect: brown, with sternum darker and coxae lighter, abdomen almost black. Legs: femora I-IV dark brown with irregular lighter brown spots, there are two lighter marginal lines along their dorsal surfaces delimiting broad dark dorsal area; remaining segments of legs I-IV greyish yellow except tibia and patella I which are darker. Measurements (mm). Length of cephalothorax 1.51; length of abdomen 1.27; length of 5 segments of leg I 2.44. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: basic colouring dark. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Afrika. Middle East. FEMALECephalothorax: tegument light reflecting, uniformly dark greyish brown, eye field black, a few sparse colourless setae, no contrasting colour pattern. Abdomen: dull dark greyish brown, wrinkled and suffused with lighter greyish colour.Frontal aspect: face dark brown without contrasting colour pattern, single row of sparse whitish setae around rims of eyes I; a few whitish setae on clypeus, which is very low, overhanging cheliceral bases; chelicerae greyish brown, medially yellowish; pedipalps and patella-tibia I greyish brown (but in Sinai specimen whitish yellow). Ventral aspect: mouth parts, sternum, dark brown, coxae II-IV and trochanters ventrally light, femora I-IV ventrally dark greyish brown, abdomen ventrally light greyish brown with two, slightly darker longitudinal streaks. Legs: uniformly yellow with grey setae; in specimen from Elat femora I-IV dark greyish brown with lighter dorsal streak narrowing apically; patellae I-IV greyish yellow, tibiae II-IV greish brown, dorsally lighter except tibia I which is dark, tarsi-and metatarsi I-IV yellow, sparse inconspicuous setae. Epigynum with two membraneous round windows, narrowly separated; long diagonal copulatory channel with the accessory gland opening in the middle and some not yet very clear structure around copulatory opening, under anterior sclerotized rim of the window; spermathecae appear oval, longer than wide, with bent distal channel and porous second accessory gland opening nearby. In specimen from Elat spermathecae appear longer, the striking difference of that specimen with all other Chalcoscirtus is the structure of the copulatory opening: although channel ends under anterior sclerotized rim of the window, it is extended, however, by a soft membraneous loop turning back and medially and ending by an indistinct slit nearby or under protruding sclerotized structure on the middle of window rim. The significance of these differences is not clear. Likewise, the significance of minor variation in coloration of body and legs among specimens from various localities is not clear. Measurements (mm). Length of cephalothorax 1.51; length of abdomen (missing); length of 5 segments of leg I 2.75. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: basic colouring dark. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Afrika. Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. A similar, related species occurs in Central Asia - Tajikistan and also Kyzyl-Kum Desert in the Uzbekistan. There is also resemblance to "Euophrys nigrita": Prószyński 1979: 307, Figs 75-77 from Ukraine (identif. uncertain), in which, however, teeth on apophysis were not noticed.Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males - I, II, III, IV, VII; females - I, II, IV, VII. Etymology. Species named for my wife, an arachnologist E. M. Andreeva (Katarzyna Andrejewa-Prószyńska).© PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |