In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax: generally light brown with lighter lower sides and eye field, covered with adpressed, long and broad, sometimes wavy, whitish scales. Eye field has a large, copper-fawn trapezium shaped area covered by light scales, delimited anteriorly and laterally by thin black rims along eyes anterior and lateral, posteriorly suffused with grey and then delimited by a pair of lighter, chevron shaped lines between eyes III. Anterior thoracic dorsum with darker brown triangular or round spot, extending towards thoracic hindmargin as a darker median line, delimited with lighter areas covered by more pronouncedly whitish scales. Upper sides brown, lower lighter brown, covered with whitish scales and setae; there is a dark bald marginal line delimited by denser white scales above it in the anterior part of sides, and followed by a fringe of hanging white scales beneath the edge. Abdomen: generally grey with dense, long, yellowish scales, with an admixture of whitish scales, adpresed in their basal parts but slightly upright apically, which gives the abdomen a rough surface. There is a pattern of grey pigmented spots on integument, beneath the scales, which gives an overall impression of a median line of small light spots arranged in 7 chevrons or small triangles, resembling that in Pellenes ignifrons (Grube, 1861) (cf. Prószyński 1971a: 214–218, Figs 20–27) and Pellenes limbatus Kulczyński (1895: 87), in which, however, abdomen is black and dots, separated by darker spots and followed on each side by darker streaks of dots interrupted by short transverse lines. There is a concentration of light scales marginally, but they do not make separate streaks.Frontal aspect: striking contrast between large black anterior legs I (covered with whitish scales, tarsus brown) and light face. Diameter of ALE 2/5th of AME. Clypeus 3/5th of AME, covered with broad white scales, arranged horizontally, at the edge diagonal white scales overhanging cheliceral bases, sides of face below ALE light fawn with whitish scales, passing into brown sides of cephalothorax. Eyes I surrounded ventrally and laterally by white scales, dorsally by grey setae and colourless scales on dark pigmented rim; there is small white triangle above touching points of AME, extending onto anterior eye field. Chelicerae small, their width equal to AME, light brown, with brown bases, becoming darker apically, with transverse ridges (stridulatory ?); there are three vertical rows of minute white scales along each chelicera. Pedipalps light brown to yellow, with whitish scales scattered among sparse white setae on cymbium and tibia. Palpal organ resembling Pellenes hedjazensis Prószyński (1993) of Saudi Arabia by having large postero- lateral flap on cymbium wall even more strongly developed; embolus apically split into two tiny spines (three in P. hedjazensis); embolus is followed by a large conductor in shape of an elongated horizontal “S” with apical loop distant from embolus and running almost straight from the middle of bulbus edge towards the apical end of cymbium; bulbus anteriorly rounded, broadly truncated, narrowing triangularly posteriorly. Tibial apophysis black sclerotized, of medium length, narrowing and slightly inclined posteriorly. Ventral aspect: chelicerae and mouth parts greyish brown, sternum dark brown, medially paler yellowish grey, with long white setae and scales. Coxae yellow. Abdomen light whitish yellow with median row of grey dots in one specimen, extended into grey streak in another, and into broad grey rectangular areas, delimited by thin light lines in the third specimen, sides dark grey. Legs I overgrown, much longer than others, blackish brown to black, tarsus and ventral side of femur light brown to yellow; covered with setae and white scales; metatarsus, tibia and patella ventrally with dense fur of long black setae, prolateral surface of femur bald and dark; tibia I long, neither swollen medially nor narrowing at ends; spines, if present, not visible among the ventral brush of setae. Remaining legs yellowish grey to yellow, with darker lateral surfaces and dark incomplete annulation. Measurements (mm). Male. Length of cephalothorax 2.24; length of abdomen 2.56; length of 5 segments of leg I 6.96. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. Unusual by grey colour of abdomen; palpal organ differs from P. hedjazensis in proportions and shape of details: retrolateral wall of cymbium with a huge flap articulating with tibial apophysis and hiding it entirely from the dorsal side; embolus split apically into two small needle shaped processes, accompanied medially by a large conductor, separated from embolus, in ventral view looking like a dark brown process running along the middle of cymbium, from bulbus towards anterior end of cymbium.Remarks. Closely related to Pellenes hedjazensis Prószyñski, 1993 from Saudi Arabia, also resembling Pellenes sytchevskayae from S Uzbekistan by appearance of palpal organ, with distinct differences in minute details of embolus, as shown on Figs 734–735. There seem to be a group of closely related species, consisting of, among others, from P. hedjazensis, P. negevensis, P. sytchevskayae, with small differences in embolus, difficult to interpretation. Identification of these species require preliminary study of colour pattern differences and individual variation in local populations. Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Males – IV, V; females – V. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |