In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax blackish brown, eye field with three wedge-like streaks of white adpressed setae, pointed anteriorly, running from near eyes III to between AME and median part of rim of AME; remaining eye field covered by colourless setae appearing dark fawn on blackish tegument. A belt of white setae along edge of flat part of thorax runs to below eyes III, sides with tegument brown, covered by adpressed dark setae; edge of carapace black from under eyes II, with thin line of intensely white setae turning into white belt on clypeus, areas under ALE lighter than remaining sides. A row of stout short brown setae above orbits of eyes I, no Thyene-like tufts of longer setae arising below eyes II.Abdomen comparable with E. praeclara and E. nepos by white median area surrounded by dark area, but differs in details: tegument dorsally dark grey with sparse yellowish dots, with striking large white spot in the middle, consisting of white setae over three unpigmented, whitish, thin short chevrons; marginal dark streaks covered by more delicate setae, colourless with slight yellowish hue, lateral edges appear lighter due to concentration of whitish setae, sides with dense dark and lighter stripes, with three diagonal lighter spots; there are also sparse upright, long and thin bristles over dorsal surface and a few weak whitish setae with dark tips over anterior edge of abdomen; further down on anterior abdomen are dark setae with only basal parts remaining whitish, and along remaining part of abdomen are sparse whitish bristles, mixed with stronger black. Spinnerets greyish brown with long setae. Frontal aspect: eye field appears light brown with blackish spot behind ALE, with three wedges of white setae, complemented by light yellow, converging at the meeting point of rims of AME and middle areas of rims of AME; upper halves of rims of AME covered with long, strong dark brown setae, intermixed with sparse white setae, lower halves of rims covered with shorter whitish and a few yellow setae; rims of ALE covered externally with dark brown, yellow and whitish setae, medial halves with whitish setae only; space under eyes I light greyish brown, with thin diagonally transverse line beneath ALE lighter brown with sparse whitish setae; edge of clypeus laterally (under ALE and sideways) with two lines of intensely white setae, separated by bald blackish brown line; clypeus under AME with long but sparse "beard" of white setae, overhanging chelicerae. Chelicerae short and slender, light greyish brown, with sparse, long, colourless setae, longer laterally. Pedipalpal femora yellow, lighter dorsally, patella greyish, lighter apically, tibia and cymbium light brown with some whitish setae. Palpal organ similar to E. praeclara and E. nigricans from Tunisia, differs from other Evarcha of Mediterranean in shape: bulbus round, broader than in E. nepos, embolus appears broad, bending tightly along edge of bulbus, its apical part transversely and anteriorly to bulbus, tip bending dorsally into anterior depression of cymbium, with minute split. Ventral aspect: mouth parts brown, coxae I-IV yellowish grey to whitish, femora I-IV ventrally whitish; sternum brownish; abdomen ventrally greyish with lighter dots, with anterior part (in front of epigastric furrow) dark brownish grey; median area brownish grey; broad anteriorly and narrowing posteriorly, spinnerets dark. Legs: femur I: apical half blackish brown, basal half white; patella I dorsally light greyish brown with whitish setae, laterally greyish brown; tibia I dark greyish brown, lighter dorsally; tarsus and metatarsus light brown with whitish setae dorsally, dark setae at top of tarsus. Legs II resembling I, legs III-IV similar, with femoral darkening extending over lateral surfaces. Measurements (mm). Length of cephalothorax 2.05-2.25; length of abdomen 1.80-2.25; length of 5 segments of leg I 3.53-4.19, order of leg lengths III, IV, I, II. (c) PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: longer than wide. wider than long. Embolus: Shape: wrapped < 1 around bulbus. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. FEMALECephalothorax covered with thin, long, adpressed hairs, predominantly white and more uniform than in male, but also some colourless and even a few greyish, whose varying dispersal (due to falling off) makes a variety of patterns. I have not seen any female specimen with three white lines on eye field, as in male. Tegument brown, on eye field lighter with a copper gleam, and dark lateral edges. A nearly mature paratype has yellow tegument with four longitudinal dark lines of setae along slope of thorax. Abdomen greyish suffused with whitish yellow, with a thin dark brown median line along anterior half of the abdomen, and three white median chevrons, in posterior half, there is an intensely dark spot behind chevrons and in front of spinnerets. Sides with three diagonal dark suffused lines, separated by light diagonal lines in one paratype, whitish grey in holotype, and white and grey dots in the second paratype.Frontal aspect: more differenciated than in E. patagiata with eye field fawn, surrounding of lateral eyes blackish, a belt immediately above eyes I whitish with whitish setae, eyes I surrounded with contrasting white setae, area below and lateral to AME yellowish fawn, but becoming darker fawn from below ALE laterally, ventral edge of carapace dark brown, beginning from under ALE laterally, there are contrasting concentrations of white setae making diagonal line under ALE, with white line of setae above brown edge and white setae hanging below it; area below ALE with horizontal white setae, and longer white setae overhanging cheliceral bases, some longer whitish setae also on chelicerae, which are brownish fawn. Pedipalps striped: transverse white stripes with white setae, and dark brown stripes. Leg I also contrasting, with white femur apically blackish, patella and tibia dorsally brown but darker brown frames and ventral surfaces. Ventral aspect whitish with indistinct median grey streak, narrowing posteriorly as in M, the anterior area, however, is white. Legs: femora I-IV white except apical end which is dark, joint with patellae II-IV dark brown, sides of tibiae I-IV dark brown, dorsal surfaces of patellae and tibiae II-IV light brown, metatarsi-tarsi I-IV brownish yellow. Measurements (mm). Length of cephalothorax 2.47-2.77; length of abdomen 3.15-3.00; length of 5 segments of leg I 4.59-5.61, order of leg lengths III, IV, I, II. (c) PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge straight. dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: longer than wide. wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. Male with three white wedge shaped lines along eye field; bulbus round, broader than in E. nepos, embolus appears broad, bending tightly along edge of bulbus, its apical part lying transversely, tip bending dorsally, with minute split.Remarks. There are several related species in the Central Asia and Caucasus, the closest being Evarcha nenilini, the diagnostic differences of this species are shown on the Figs. Evarcha armeniaca has male palp similar to E. negevensis, except tip of embolus is not turned anteriorly, and there is huge lateral swelling of cymbium, just above tip of apophysis, dorsal surface of cephalothorax now almost bald, so comparison of setae pattern is impossible. Female has abdominal pattern similar to that of E. negevensis, from which differs by minute details; epigynum however, is entirely different. Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males - V, IV, VII, VIII; females - VI, VII, VIII, IX. (c) PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |