Plexippus gershomi, Prószyński, 2017

Prószyński, Jerzy, 2017, Remarks on the genus Plexippus C. L. Koch, 1846 (Araneae: Salticidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 13, pp. 39-69 : 58-59

Plexippus gershomi sp. n.

Figures 4B , 5 H-H1, 7B, 9Q-Q1

Plexippus devorans Prószyński, 2003: 142 , f. 579-580, 58, 589-590 (mf only from Ein Gedi Sulphur Springs).

Material. Holotype male, allotype female from Ein Gedi Sulphur Springs, Israel, labeled " Plexippus devorans ", kept in the Israel National Arachnid Collection, Department of Evolution , Systematics and Ecology , Hebrew University at Givat Ram , Berman Building , 91904 Jerusalem, Israel.

Etymology. named for the late Dr. Gershom Levy, creator of the Israel National Arachnid Collection, containing (in 2003) 99 species of Salticidae .

Remarks. Description of this species as separate, in difference to Prószyński (2003: 142-143) where was identified as P. devorans is a provisional solution to the epigyne differences with syntype specimen of the" Attus devorans " kept in Oxford Museum, significance of which become apparent with comparison of more species of Plexippus . The existing doubts may be dispelled after revision of remaining male and female syntypes of " Salticus" devorans O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 in the Natural History Museum of London (where are labeled as " Hasarius " devorans ), revision beyond the present possibilities of the author of this paper.

Diagnosis. Color pattern of male resembling several other species: carapace light with a pair of dark spots on the slope of thorax, eye field dark with some indistinct white setae. Abdomen light, its unique feature are two slightly darker marginal streaks along edges of dorsal surface, consisting of several thin gray lines, broken into five short blocks of ( Fig.7B ). In other species marginal streaks are continuous, much darker and broader. Palps typical for Plexippus , differing in strong expansion of prolateral margin of embolar basis and middle position of its serrated, sclerotized edge ( Fig.4B ). Bunch of setae on apical half of palpal femur is white. Epigynal pocket ( Figs 5 H-H1) is located centrally (in difference to anterior position of pocket in syntype specimen of P. devorans - Fig. 5G), white space between extended rims of copulatory opening is oval. Ducts broad and running diagonally, resemble those in P. clements , but spermatheca looks more globular.

Description (based on Prószyński 2003: 142-143, f. 579-580, 584, 589-590, Ein Gedi Sulphur Springs specimen only). Male. Cephalothorax yellow with a pair of contrasting brown, large spots on posterior slope of thorax ( Fig. 7B ), eye field fawn, with no white streak. Abdomen with median area whitish yellow, with a pair of marginal darker streaks interrupted into 5 blocks, consisting of 3-4 thin dark lines, there is one more such block in front of whitish spinnerets. Face yellow with dense, long, white setae on clypeus, some of which stretch diagonally forward, partially overhanging cheliceral bases. Eyes I I surrounded ventrally by white, dorsally by yellowish setae, eyefield in frontal view appears brown. Chelicerae basally yellow, apically light brown. Palps light yellow, with yellow cymbium having dorsally, large spot of white setae, characteristic for the genus Plexippus . Palpal femur, tibia and cymbium with long, white setae. Embolus thin and short, located at about mid-length of anterior edge of bulbus, prolateral part of embolar basis strongly expanded ( Fig. 4B ). Ventral aspect of body whitish. Legs I: femur with light brown line along prolateral surface, tibia and patella light brown, metatarsus and tarsus yellow. Legs II-IV yellow. Female. Carapace yellow, with lighter streak, expanded broader in the foveal area, posterior slope of thorax steeper than in P. paykulli , sides of carapace whitish yellow with traces of indistinct, radial bars. Eyefield darker yellow, with an indistinct, thin diagonal line of white setae along lateral edges of eyefield, medially from eyes II to junction between eyes anterior median and anterior lateral, eyes III surrounded black. Abdomen diverse in specimens described in the 2003, it is not precise which of these characterizes allotype of the species described here. Eyefield in the frontal view appears dark, remaining parts are whitish yellow, eyes I are surrounded by white setae. Legs generally yellow, with femora whitish yellow. Epigyne and its internal structures are shown on Figs 5 H-H1.

Body size range of this species, is around 5 mm. Seasonal occurrence of male - March and October, of females March, May and August.

Remarks. Similar species were photographed by the late Mr. A. Senglet, presumably from Iran, or Afghanistan ( Fig. 3 K-K1) present dorsal view of a similarly colored Plexippus sp. differing by two pairs of black spots on carapace entirely white. That specimen differs also by marginal abdominal lines intensely black, surrounded with thin, red contour, palp of that specimen does not differs significantly from P. gershomi . Two males, photographed in facial view ( Fig. 3 M-N), differ by legs color: intensely black legs I in one, light brown with white seta in another. Both have clypeus covered by dense beard of white setae, overhanging cheliceral bases, upper orbits of eyes I are red, there are also red spots immediately above eyes I. The female shown on Figs 3 N-O, has color pattern relatively more contrasting, internal structure of epigyne resembling Plexippus gershomi . While formal descriptions of these species is not possible because of insufficient data, they indicate that fauna of Western Asia is much more rich, than heretofore assumed.

Figures

Figure 3. Color pattern and body shape of species of Plexippus. A-D - Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) - Egypt, E-F - Plexippus clemens -Turkey, ventral view of epigyne (uncleared soft tissues embedding spermathecae and ducts hamper perception of details of structures!), G-H - Plexippus clemens - India.

Figure 4a. Diagnostic characters of species of Plexippus. A - Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826) (palp 1/3 larger than remaining species), B - P. gershomi sp. n., C - P. sp. [devorans?? - unlabeled specimen in O. Pickard-Cambridge collection, from a jar with specimens from Palestine], D - P. bhutani Zabka, 1990, D1 - P. minor Wesolowska & van Harten, 2010, E- P. petersi (Karsch, 1878), F - P. tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, G - Plexippus yinae Peng X., Li S., 2003 = P. tectonicus [?], H - Plexippus strandi Spassky, 1939 - from Turkmenistan, K - P. strandi Spassky, 1939, K1 - P. dushanbinus (Andreeva, 1969), L - P. setipes-1 Karsch, 1879, L1 - "P. setipes-2" Peng & Li, 2003, [another palp, hypothetically matching holotype of P. setipes - see Figs 9R-S], M - P. setipes.

Figure 7. Body pattern diversity in Plexippus. A - Plexippus tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, - body and palpal "flag", B - P. gershomi sp. n. - body and palpal "flag, C - P. "coccineus"[?] by Metzner, D - P. strandi Sspassky, 1939 male and female abdomen by Wesołowska, E - P. strandi Spassky, 1939 - male abdomen by Adreeva, F - P. dushanbinus - male body and female abdomen by Andreeva, G - P. similis - female abdomen by Wesołowska, H-I - P. kondarensis (Charitonov, 1951) - body of male by Charitonov and by Logunov & Rakov, J - P. bhutani Zabka, 1990 - male and female, K - P. pokharae Zabka, 19, L - P. yinae Peng & Li, 2003 =[?] P. tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, L1 - P. setipes Karsch 1879 - type from Japan, Prószyński, 1973: 120, f. 61, L2 - P. setipes-2 Peng & Li, 2003, L3 - P. setipes from Vietnam, M - P. paykulli (Audouin, 1826), N - P. baro Wesolowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008, O - P. robustus (Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895), P - P. [?] rubroclypeatus (Lessert, 1927), Q - P. [?] stridulator Pocock, 1899.